Naruto: Maoyū
by TheWriteFiction
Summary: Following the end of the joint Chunin Exam test match with the other hidden villages, Naruto and his friends begin their training in preparation for the main event. However, just as their training gets under way, Konohagakure is suddenly attacked by a horde of monsters from another realm... [Current Arc- Konoha Crush Arc] [NarutoHarem]
1. Prologue

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _Prologue_

(Five years after Kyuubi attack)

It was another warm weekend in _Konohagakure_ and all across the town the people were enjoying a nice quiet day of rest and relaxation. While those who were on call for the morning were working the handful of shops and stalls that were open, the villagers who had time off for the day were spending it either at home, lazing about and catching up on some chores, or out on the streets, hanging out with their friends and families.

Because it was such a nice day out, a few of the households had decided to head out to the reserves to get some much needed fresh air and exercise. It was here in one of the local parks inside the residential area on the west side of the village that the parents were able to watch their children run around and play on the open grass and playground, while the mothers and fathers spent time catching up with the other parents, who they hadn't seen in quite a while.

With the adults watching and chatting with each other in the background, the children were having a blast, running around the open field and chasing each other across the playground. The sound of their laughter filled the air and brought a cheerful atmosphere to the area, as one group of boys and girls were kicking a ball between each other on the grass, while many others were clambering over the monkey bars and obstacles. There was also a few young girls sitting in a circle on the grass, playing with hair buns, doing up their pony tails and trying to act like adults.

On the playground by the castle spider net, a group of three boys were playing pretend ninja with each other, all of them armed with rubber kunai and trying their "opponents". With the way they were hanging off of the ropes and chasing each other through and around the entire structure, all of them looked like they were having a great deal of fun, as they were all laughing and making sword noises every time they tried to stab their friends.

"Take this! And this!" the brown haired five year old in the singlet and shorts shouted, at the same time attempting to stab his friend. After a few tries, he eventually nailed him in the chest. "Ha! I got you!"

"No you didn't!" the black haired kid with freckles and wearing a blue jacket protested, at the same time swinging off of the rope. "I've got a shield! You can't get through my shield!"

"Nah-uh! That's not fair! You can't have a shield!" the youngster shouted back with a frown. "You got hit! That means you're out!"

While the two children started bickering with each other and arguing who got who, the third kid in the bandana, wearing a red jumper and green shorts, came up beneath the youngster with brown hair and stabbed him in the bottom of his sandal with his kunai. He then laughed when he heard his friend yelp and glare down at him. "Ha! I got you, Shota!"

"Hey! You can't attack me like that! It doesn't count if you hit me in the foot!" the irate victim shot back.

"Yeah it does! My daddy said so!" the adolescent in the bandana shouted as he hung off of the spider web with a grin. "If you attack a person's foot, you can really hurt them. That means you've been weakened." He then jumped off of the spider web to avoid his other friend from swinging down and slashing at him. While his landing on the bark was clumsy, the child was able to find his balance and strike a superman pose. "Yes! And I get away! What do you think of that?!"

As he grinned up at his two friends, he noticed that both of them had stopped moving, as their expressions had suddenly become fearful and nervous. Confused by what was going on, the boy in the bandana then jumped when he heard a voice behind him and spun around.

"Hey there."

When the child looked to see who it was, his eyes instantly landed upon another boy around his age, with blond spiky hair, wearing a white shirt with an orange swirl mark on it, a long-sleeved green under shirt, a string necklace with a small orange pendant around his neck, and green khaki shorts. He also had a very distinctive birthmark on his face; three whiskers drawn horizontally on both his cheeks, giving him a very foxlike appearance.

Though he didn't seem threatening or scary in the least, the boy he was speaking with immediately took a few steps back, as a look of dread and uncertainty pulled across his face, just as it did his friends.

Despite this, the boy with the whiskers smiled pleasantly and waved meekly, "C-Can I play with you guys?"

Glancing between each other nervously, the three boys at first said nothing. However, when the blond took a couple steps towards them, he suddenly saw the three boys drop the rubber kunai they were playing with and run away, with the two boys scrambling down the spider net and across the grass. Before the child with the whiskers couple even process what was going on or speak, he suddenly saw all the children on the playground get up and run.

Leaving whatever equipment they were playing on, the children returned to their parents, who they immediately hid behind. When the adults asked them what was going on and saw the problem for themselves, they too thought it best to leave.

Within only a few seconds the blond child found himself standing in the middle of the playground all by himself.

Looking around the empty playground and the now deserted park, the confused Naruto soon felt the familiar sensation of loneliness and abandonment fall over him. Hearing a breeze rustle over the trees and a cold grip his skin, the now noticeably disheartened blond rubbed his arm and, with a sad look on his face, trudged his way over to the swing sets.

Getting over to the swing in the middle, the youngster struggled to get up on the seat. When he finally managed to get on it, he then sat there, swinging his legs back and forth while the metal of the hinges creaked under his weight.

As much as he wanted to run after the children and ask them what was going on, he didn't. The kids obviously weren't going to play with him, and even if he approached their parents he knew they would just walk away or tell him to leave them alone.

By this point he already knew the drill and what was going on. It was the same thing that happened to him no matter where he went, whether it was the reserve, the market, or the orphanage. Everyone just avoided him.

While he sat there on the swing, moving back and forth at a dejected pace, the boy sighed. _"I guess… I can always try again tomorrow…"_ he thought optimistically, though in his heart he knew exactly what was going to happen anyway.

OOO

(Three months later)

(Academy)

"Look at all these pretty flowers," a young blonde girl in an orange shirt with her hair tied into a high pony-tail exclaimed as she showed off the bunch of daisies she'd picked to the two other girls sitting on either side of her. "My mum showed me how to put them together last night. What do you think?"

Glancing down at the makeshift bouquet, the girl with brown hair and wearing the purple kimono gawked, "Wow. They're so nice."

"Yeah. How did you do it?"

"It's a secret," Ino giggled with a wink.

It was another day out at the academy and another recess break for the students. Those who'd felt like they were being cooped up in the class for too long had gone outside to get some fresh air and to spend time playing with their friends. While the children scattered into their respective play groups, the Chunin instructors Suzume and the burly yet friendly Daikoku could be seen standing and watching from the footpath nearby. They made sure that all of the children were playing safely with one another and weren't causing too much mischief, so as to avoid any major incidents.

So far their recess had been pretty good, and everyone was enjoying their time out in the sun; the young ones especially. After the long first period that they had in their foundation level classroom, it was a welcome relief for all of them to be able to go outside and explore their surroundings.

While a group of boys were kicking a ball between each other, Ino and her friends were indulging in some more girlie, hands-on activities. By comparison they wanted to seem like the more mature and responsible ones, even if they did look adorable.

"Be careful of the bees though. They will sting you if you bother them too much," the girl with purple hair and wearing a red shirt and blue overalls warned when she saw Ino pick some more flowers.

"Oh, don't worry. The bees here are friendly. They won't bite," the blonde youngsters replied cheerfully. It was then she and her two friends were cut short when they spotted one of the abovementioned insects fly off from the patch of grass they were sitting around.

Following it with their eyes, the group of girls then saw the tiny bee land on the extended hand of a boy standing several feet away from them, wearing a green hooded jacket and sunglasses. He was sharing the same spot with a tough-looking kid with brown spiky hair, red markings on his cheeks, and a purple jumper over his shoulders, which gave him the appearance of a delinquent.

After getting a good look at the pollinating critter perching on his finger, the child in the square sunglasses held it out and waved it on. "Go on." He then let the bee fly off on its own accord and disappear into the clearing, which the scruffy boy standing alongside him observed with a cautious gaze.

"Why didn't you squash it?" the kid with the canines asked curiously.

"It would've been incredibly unkind and cruel," the child in the hooded jacket replied. "Why you ask? Because like you, the insects in this garden are our neighbors too."

Kiba raised an eyebrow at the stoic adolescent's response, "You're weird, man."

Past the two boys standing on the other side of the playground, a couple more youngsters could be seen hanging around the bottom of the slippery dip and watching the commotion unfold around them. Unlike the rest of the boisterous ankle biters who were running around and tackling each other, the two of them, a tired looking kid with long dark hair tied into a spiky ponytail, and an orange-haired, rather tubby child wearing a green top, and eating vigorously from a packet of chips, were contently enjoying the view and the breeze drifting over the scenery. These two seemed to be spending their recess break together, not really saying much, and quietly enjoying the pleasure of one another's company.

Aside from these two quartering themselves off from the main herd, playtime for the class went on as per the usual routine and the instructors didn't have to worry one bit about any of the kids quarreling senselessly with each other. At least not yet.

Meanwhile, a little further away from the main group of children playing out in the open, over by one of the old peach trees where a tire swing had been hung up, one of the students had chosen to isolate himself from the rest of the class. Sitting inside the ring-shaped, plastic seat, the young orphan Naruto was currently swinging back and forth on the makeshift equipment, clutching the rope with both hands and watching with a sad glimmer in his eyes as the rest of his cohort played with one another across the oval.

Ever since he began attending school at the behest of the orphanage a few weeks ago, the blond youngster had found himself struggling to fit in with the rest of the students. Initially Naruto had hoped to start out this part of his life fresh, using his anonymity to try and connect with some of the local kids and make new friends with the faces he met. Since there was no shortage of children or play time during the school period, the boy was confident he could make something positive happen over his tenure here, and entered the system with a big smile on his face. But after the first few days had come and gone, and after what he felt was a good start to his education, the blond quickly found himself slipping back to his original state.

Every time Naruto tried to approach the kids and ask if he could play with them, they would either ignore him, tell him to go away, run off, or be dragged away by their teachers, parents or friends in the area, pushing the blond further and further away and, for all intents and purposes, stranding him out in the cold. At first Naruto thought this was just another passing phase, as he was briefly able to find what he thought was a fast friendship with the boys Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji. But almost as soon as he'd met them the child was then told that their parents didn't want the three of them hanging around with him, and was essentially kicked out of their circle.

This not only dampened Naruto's spirits during his free periods, but also made his time at the academy all the more disheartening. Now not only was he alone at the orphanage, but he also found himself alone in school; the most kid-populated area in Konoha.

Frankly he felt even worse than he previously had and, after several attempts to try and get back in with the groups, resigned himself to his usual routine.

For the next several minutes the depressed youngster remained where he was, watching quietly as the rest of his classmates kicked the ball around and tackled each other on the green. It was then in the midst of his observations Naruto suddenly heard the sound of feet shuffling behind him and looked over his shoulder. There he quickly spotted one of the girls from his class, the pink haired one in the red button-up top and black skirt, Sakura Haruno, hiding behind the trunk and looking out at the other kids on the playground.

Blinking when his eyes fell on her, he saw the girl was making furtive glances at the other children from behind her long bangs of hair, which she was using to cover her face. While this initially appeared strange to the adolescent Naruto, the youngster quickly figured that she was probably shy and had trouble interacting with others, and was the reason why she was concealing herself from the rest of the cliques.

Deciding to take a chance, the originally detached and upset Naruto hopped off of his swing and poked his head around. "Hi there. Are you okay?" Almost as soon as he asked that question he saw the girl gasp and move further behind the trunk. "Hey. It's alright. I'm not going to bite, dattebayo." When he saw her edge out a little more and look him in the face, the blonde beamed, "Your name is Sakura, right?"

The pinkette nodded, "Uh-huh."

"I'm Naruto," the blonde chirped back with a pleasant grin. He then slowly eased towards her, keeping his cheerful disposition up. So far she hadn't turned tail and run, which the boy immediately took as a good sign. "What are you doing hiding over here?"

Glancing to and from the orphan a couple of times, the nervous Sakura gulped, "N-Nothing. I'm… I'm just-"

"You don't want to go out and play with the others?" Naruto asked rather bluntly, earning a small nod from said girl. "How come?"

Hesitant, the girl replied in a quiet voice, "E-Every time I go outside to play, the girls keep making fun of me."

"Really?" Was Naruto's innocent response as he quickly looked her over, "Why would they do that? You look perfectly fine to me." His words earning a surprised look from Sakura, the bold youngster then moved in a little closer and, leaning over, tentatively brushed his hands over her bangs.

"Maybe it's because all of your hair is hanging over your face."

Sakura backed away, a little bit frightened. "D-Don't," the girl stammered, causing Naruto to stop. "I… I have an ugly forehead."

Smiling, the kid moved forward again and, using his thumbs and fingers, shifted her locks out of her face. When he got a clear look at the scared profile beneath the veil, Naruto beamed warmly at her. "No you don't."

Sakura stared at him in shock, "Huh? Y-You think so?"

A big nod was her answer, "I think it looks very pretty." His comment earning a light blush from the child, Naruto then reached down and picked up a couple of cherry blossoms, which had fallen to the base of the peach tree they were hiding behind. "You'll look even prettier if we put some flowers in your hair." What followed from that point was the blond doing his very best artistic attempt to comb Sakura's bangs behind her ears so that everyone could see her face.

After a couple of minutes of muttering and careful adjusting, with Naruto using the girl's scrunchy to adjust her ponytail so that it took most of the strands into a single area, the boy then withdrew his hands and held them out into a makeshift frame. Upon which he then grinned triumphantly.

"There. Much better."

Bringing her hands up to run through her hair, Sakura noticed that Naruto had slipped a cherry blossom into the locks he'd nudged behind her ear and one next to her newly adjusted scrunchy, which was shifted into a traditional bun-style on top of her head. After feeling around with her fingers and familiarizing herself with her new look, Sakura then gave the blond a friendly smile of appreciation.

"Th-Thank you."

Naruto felt his heart flutter at her words of gratitude. "You're welcome."

"Hey!"

The pair suddenly had their attention pulled away from each other and towards the play area, where they spotted Ino and her two friends from the flower patch standing a few feet away and glaring at them. Initially caught off guard, it took the youngsters several seconds to realize that the trio were glaring at only one and not both of them, and that the person they had their attention on happened to be Naruto.

Her expression stern and angry, Ino kept a steady and unflinching gaze upon the blond troublemaker, "What are you doing to her?"

Naruto stuttered nervously, "Nothing. I… I was just helping her with her hair."

Ino's frown deepened as she glanced between the boy and Sakura. After which she then gave the orphan a firm glare, "Mum and dad said we shouldn't talk to you. Go away."

"B-But…" Naruto tried to reply.

"Yeah! Buzz off!" the girl with the brown hair shouted.

"Leave her alone!" the one with purple hair butted in. "Scram! Get lost!"

Finding himself being ganged up on by the girls, the startled and upset Naruto quickly straightened up and ran off. Ino and the others made sure to watch him leave, whereas Sakura followed after the kind boy with a confused gaze. She even attempted to call out and go after the blond, but she was stopped when the lead girl of the trio placed a hand on her shoulder and drew her attention towards her.

"It's okay. He's gone," Ino chirped, appearing pleased at having gotten rid of the 'dangerous kid' her parents had warned her about. Though she didn't see anything wrong with him and she wondered why everyone said he was trouble, she did what her mum and dad told her to do, so she felt she was doing the right thing. "My name's Ino. What's your name?"

While Ino introduced herself to the shy and nervous Sakura, Naruto, who'd managed to escape to another row of trees, looked back at the group forlornly, particularly towards the girl he'd helped. When he saw the four of them move off, a sad look appeared on his face again and, lowering his head, the blond walked behind the oaks standing by the school's main building.

Once there, the orphan stood quietly for a moment looking at the ground. Biting his bottom lip, it didn't take long for a series of whimpers to leave him before Naruto clenched his eyes shut and attempted to stop tears from running down his cheeks. But it was no use.

"Wh-What did I do?" he whispered to himself, confused, scared, and not knowing what was wrong with him. "Why do people keep pushing me away?"

He just didn't understand.

OOO

(Three months later)

It was school out at the shinobi academy once again and, as the sun started to set over the horizon, the older children in the upper year levels went off on their own, while the younger ones were picked up by their parents and taken home. Those youngsters who'd had a good day were practically gabbing to their mothers or fathers about how their teachers loved their work and that they were going to go far as shinobi or kunoichi. They were literally hanging off of their arms as they were walked off the property and down the street. For them it'd been another terrific day.

For Naruto on the other hand, it'd been another long and slow one, filled with the same hard goings and misery that he experienced outside of school. Even after all these months of attending classes, hanging out with the teachers and learning how to interact with other people, he hadn't made a single friend. What's more, even though he was trying his best to get in with some of the other groups, it seemed like he wasn't getting anywhere with them.

In fact it felt like his isolation was just getting even worse.

And so, after another rotten and unsuccessful day of trying to fit in, the child was now trudging back home to the orphanage with his hands in his pockets and a downtrodden look on his face. Along the way he tried to think about what he should get for dinner on the way back home.

As he passed through town, walking by various stores, bars, vendors, cafes and stalls, he couldn't help but notice how all the people around him were giving him an extra wide berth. Every time he walked towards a group or a family, he would see them move over to the side of the road or stop at a safe distance to let him pass. All the while they gave him either the cold shoulder or a very cautious, hate filled glare. It was like everyone was looking at him like he was something sick and disgusting that they wanted to stay away from, a thought that had Naruto's face turn sour, his skin go clammy, and his body run cold.

This sense of feeling completely unwelcomed and unwanted that he was getting from the villagers, day in and day out… it was horrible. He hated it.

Wanting to do something about this sensation, the young Naruto decided to make a small detour from the main road and into the side streets. Trekking to a more isolated area dotted with apartments, small homes, and surrounded by lush gardens and picket fences, the blonde took his brooding stint to a less conspicuous part of the neighborhood, away from prying eyes. When he finally reached an empty reserve sitting adjacent to a group of houses, the youngster felt himself starting to get a little wet around the eyes and, stopping in his tracks, wiped his face against his forearm.

"Damn it. This sucks,"the boy mumbled miserably to himself. Noticing the open field next to the footpath and seeing how empty and spacious it was, the orphan then decided to wander around a bit towards the forest sitting on the other side.

Ambling into the woods a couple minutes later with his expression reflecting a mild sense of curiosity, the child soon stumbled upon a thick bamboo grove inside of the collection of oaks and birches. Tilting his head at the tall pillars and trunks standing high before him, all of which were lit by the glow of the still present sun, Naruto walked over to the trees and placed a hand against one of the stalks nearest to him. He then blinked as he looked at how tall the bamboo palm was.

"Wow." Looking back down at where his hand was pressed, the kid then curled his fingers into a fist and pressed his knuckles against the green wood. Putting his weight against it, he was able to get a measure of how sturdy and flexible it was, which had him smile a little.

It was then he blinked and thought back to one of the classes he had earlier today. _"Some ninja use logs and training dummies to practice taijutsu by hitting them, right?"_ His teacher Suzume had started showing the students some of the basic katas that they used in combat from a picture book; a subject that greatly fascinated and captured Naruto's interest. But whenever he tried to ask questions about it, the teacher either nervously dodged him or ignored him entirely.

As irksome as it had been, the blond had still managed to learn a great deal from simply listening to the woman's lecture. He learned about how some ninja trained, what they used, and the areas where they had the most practice. There was even some exercises the Chunin showed the class that they could do at home, which had been a great deal help.

It was at that moment Naruto looked at the bamboo pillar in front of him a little more thoughtfully. After a moment of staring, he was suddenly struck by an idea. _"Suzume-sensei didn't say anything about practicing on bamboo."_

Since it was a lot stronger than wood and almost comparable to steel, it made using it as part of martial arts practice very risky. From what Naruto already knew, people only used the planet as part of their building materials or as a construction resource; ideal for setting up frames and holding up buildings.

But had they ever considered it for practicing combat on a regular basis?

Curious as to where he could go with this idea and wanting to let off some steam from the terrible day he'd just had, Naruto frowned determinedly and set himself into one of the fighting stances he remembered from his lesson. Holding a hand out and drawing his fist back into a loaded position, he then concentrated hard before throwing a hard left seiken.

"Ha!" Naruto shouted, his corkscrew punch slamming into the bamboo trunk with a loud 'klok'. He then pulled it away a second later with a pained yelp and shook his hand. "Ow!" Looking to see the red bruise that'd formed in his knuckles, the orphan then took a deep breath and forced down the pain. Glancing back up, Naruto then put on another brave face and, reassuming his horse riding stance, brought both hands back and started again. "Ha! Ha! Ha!"

The silence of the reserve was soon filled with the sound of Naruto's yells and wood clacking echoing throughout the area, as he repeatedly started hitting the wood over, and over, and over.

It wouldn't be until nightfall that Naruto stopped practicing his punching and kicking techniques on the bamboo, by which point in time both his knuckles and shins had been cut open and were bleeding all over the place. Managing to bite back the pain, the child limped home to the orphanage to go bandage himself up, so that by tomorrow he would be able to go at it again.

It wasn't like the people at the orphanage were worried he didn't come home when he was supposed to. Heck, he figured they were glad that he wasn't around.

OOO

(Two years later)

"Huh? Who the heck are you?" a young boy wearing a blue jumper and bandana asked as he looked over his shoulder at the blonde haired kid in the white shirt, green pants, and orange vest standing behind him.

The delinquent's two friends, a chubby boy with short hair, scarf and a singlet, and a skinny one wearing an orange/brown top and gloves, also turned to face the newcomer, who was glaring them down from the entrance of the alleyway they were gathered in. Their scowls intensified when they recognized who it was, which immediately began drawing a lot of scorn from them.

Following the leader's question, the blond boy replied. "You heard me. I said knock it off!"

At first frowning at the kid's gutsy retort, the first minion's expression then changed to one reflecting a moment of sudden realization. "Hey… isn't he _that_ kid?" the rotund bully asked.

"The one who keeps painting the walls and pulling pranks on all the adults?" the skinny one continued before grinning. "Yeah. That's him."

"What the hell are _you_ doing here, shrimp?" the older, taller kid in the bandana asked while turning to face the interloper, his companions also joining him in his stand-off. Stepping closer to the gatecrasher, the trio then leered menacingly at the spiky haired hero. "Well? Come on. Speak up."

The now noticeably older Naruto glared back at the three delinquents, moments before his eyes dropped down to a fourth individual lying directly behind them.

Having just been passing by on the street, the seven year old had caught wind of a commotion taking place inside the causeway. After poking his head in to investigate, he discovered these three boys harassing a young girl around his age with short blue hair and wearing a standard grey martial arts gi. It'd only taken him a second of looking to recognize the girl as one of his classmates; the quiet one that sat all the way up in the back row next to Shino and a couple of the other boys.

If he remembered her right, her name was Hinata. Hinata Hyuuga.

Apparently she'd somehow managed to upset these three delinquents, who then felt the need to drag her into this back alleyway and push her around a little. He didn't know why they decided to do that or what reason they had for ganging up on her, but all Naruto knew was that their actions were completely uncalled for. So, upon dropping his initial plan of going off to _Ichiraku's Ramen_ , he decided to jump in and do something about their little activity.

The blond clenched his fists bravely and smirked. "You guys think you're so tough, huh? Picking on a little girl who can't even fight back. Why don't you try messing with somebody your own size?"

"What? You mean you?" the leader asked while his friends behind him snickered.

"You heard me, dumbass," Naruto retorted, earning simultaneous balks from the bullies as he held his ground. "Do you need me to spell it out for you? Or are you three so stupid that simple sentences go right over your heads?"

"What?" the skinny kid barked in outrage.

"Why you…" the leader growled while stepping forward and raising his fist, "Say that again and I'll smash your face in, punk!"

"Okay," Naruto said as a cheeky smile formed across his lips, "Then I'll say something else that you probably _won't_ understand… a little slower this time." He then leaned forward and spoke in the lowest and most idiotic-sounding voice he could make. "You're a shit-bag."

By this point in time the three boys were completely riled up. As they stomped towards the blond runt with the intent of brutalizing him in the most gangbanger fashion imaginable, the girl lying on the floor behind them, her uniform all a mess and fresh tear stains still present on her cheeks, gazed up at the boy standing valiantly against her attackers in awe. Even though he was smaller than them, younger than them by about two years, and out-numbered three to one, he still had the courage to stand up to their group and draw their attention away from her. What's more, he didn't appear scared or worried in the slightest.

Hinata had heard about this boy; who he was and what he did around the village. Apparently this Naruto had a reputation for causing trouble for the people around him and wreaking havoc across multiple neighborhoods, making life incredibly difficult for the rest of the community. She even remembered seeing him in class, from training at the academy, and also passing him by on the streets with one of her guardians.

Many times she'd asked about the mysterious blond and his nature, wanting to find out who he was and why everybody hated him so. But her guardians had always either kept quiet, dismissed her questions entirely, or gave her explicit instructions never to associate with him, because he was dangerous, foul, and generally a bad influence. It was a different reason every second day.

Originally she heeded their warnings and trusted her parents' and caretakers' judgements. But as she knelt there on the ground, looking up at said boy and watching him lure the bullies away from her, she could only wonder why a boy who was supposedly so mean and dangerous, was rescuing her.

"H-He's so brave," Hinata whispered, unable to believe what she was witnessing.

"Who the hell do you think you are, you little shit?" the rotund kid snapped at the blond pest. His smile was starting to piss him off.

Bringing a thumb up to his chest and poking at himself, the orphan grinned broadly. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage of Konohagakure!"

"A brat like you will never become Hokage!" the leader shouted, stepping forward and cocking back his fist for a punch, his eyes burning with rage. "Buzz off!" He then dove in with a wild haymaker.

Timing it, Naruto quickly slipped his head to the side and avoided the punch, before stepping forward and treading on the delinquent leader's foot. The moment he did and had the boy pinned, the blond then decked the kid in the face with a sickening 'crunch' and sent him toppling to the ground. As soon as the head bully was down, his hands clutching his broken nose and screams of agony filling the air, Naruto then dove at the next boy and shoved him into the alley wall.

Pinning the large, rotund child against the barrier, Naruto began laying into him with punches and kicks, hitting him in the chest, stomach and face repeatedly. However, after managing to land several rather painful blows, he was suddenly punched across the face by the skinny kid and sent stumbling into the wall. Upon which he was set upon by the taller boy and assaulted. After managing to bring his arms up to protect his face and fend off most of the punches, the blond saw the boy throw a haymaker at him and ducked at the last second, causing the boy to punch the wall instead.

A loud crack was followed by a scream when the bully staggered away with a broken wrist, upon which Naruto then lifted his foot and teeped him in the gut, sending him crashing into the wall and trashcan on the other side of the aisle. Spitting out the blood in his mouth, Naruto then grinned excitedly and turned back to the portly kid in the scarf, who ran up to him with a punch. Catching the blow, the blond then yanked him forward and kneed the kid in the gut, causing him to throw up. Upon which Naruto then dropped him with an elbow to the back of the head.

"Is that all you got?" the blond orphan asked while looking around at the two kids he'd managed to beat, before then looking up to see their leader stagger back to his feet and holding his nose.

"Y-You… runt!" the bully in the bandana growled before rushing forward. "I'm not done yet!" He then threw a hook at the spiky haired kid, only to watch it get blocked before he was nailed in the chin by a swift uppercut. The blow caused the kid to drop to his knees and sway on the spot in a daze. That was until Naruto grabbed him by the front of his jacket and forced to look up at him.

Sporting a noticeable bruise on his cheek as well as a bleeding lip, the victorious Naruto frowned, "Now you are." He then raised a fist, causing the older bully to raise his hands and cower in fear, as he thought the kid was going to finish him off right then and there. But instead of knocking him out, the blond showed mercy and, after a moment of consideration, released him. Upon which he then lowered his fist. "Don't gang up on anyone ever again. If you do… I'll be coming after you."

Letting the kid collapse on his own to join his two friends on the ground, Naruto then turned around and approached the fallen Hinata, who he could see was still gaping at him in awe. When he reached her, the young boy leaned over and offered her a hand.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, with a genuine and sincere smile on his face.

Gulping nervously as her eyes shimmered with amazement, Hinata nodded and, reaching forward, was helped to her feet. "Y-Yes… I am." Once she was up, she faced the blond orphan with a small smile on her face. "You saved me… thank you."

"Don't mention it," the whisker-marked youngster replied with a smirk. Upon which he then nodded behind him. "I was just passing by and saw them picking on you… so I decided to step in."

Nodding in understanding, Hinata looked around at the three bullies whom her savior had beaten. Seeing just how easily the much younger and smaller kid had been able to beat them, the Hyuuga then looked back at Naruto with a curious stare. "H-How did you do that?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"How did… you manage to stand up to all three of them by yourself?" Hinata asked, wanting to know where this boy was able to gather up the courage to take on all of those delinquents singlehandedly. "W-Weren't you scared?"

It was then Naruto smiled and shook his head. "If I was really scared, do you think I would've been able to do that?" He then thumbed back at his previous opponents, the leader of whom had now crawled over to the side wall to check on his injured friends. When he saw Hinata shake her head, the orphan then brought his hand around and placed his fist against his chest, causing the pendant he was wearing to jump. "I did it because I knew that I could do it, by standing up for myself and being tough, dattebayo. All I had to do was be brave, hold my ground, and gave them everything I had." Seeing the admiring gaze the girl was giving him prompted the blond to smile, reach forward and pat her on the head. "You can do it to if you train hard and get strong enough. If you do… I'm sure you'll be able to do the same thing that I just did."

Hearing his words loud and clear caused Hinata's chest to swell somewhat, as she then smiled and nodded to the boy standing in front of her. "Y-Yeah."

"Hinata-sama!" The two youngsters were promptly interrupted from their talk when a man, a guardian from the Hyuuga clan, came running up to them from the nearby street.

Upon seeing the adult approaching, Naruto remained where he was while the young heiress Hinata stepped forward to meet her caretaker.

"Are you okay?" the Chunin Ko asked the blue-haired girl when he stopped in front of her, the look on his face showing just how worried he'd been.

Hinata nodded affirmatively, "Yes. I am."

It was then the newly arrived protector's eyes turned towards the blond kid standing a few feet behind her, a curious look on his face. Ko recoiled when he immediately recognized who he was. "He's the-" Frowning deeply, he then took Hinata by the hand and pulled her away from the blond, upon which he started dragging her away. "Come, Hinata-sama. This is no place for you."

The Hyuuga heiress looked at the man in bewilderment. "B-But wait," the young girl spoke up before glancing back at Naruto, "He came to my rescue! The least we can do is thank him-"

" _He_ is none of our concern," the Chunin in the Hyuuga style gi replied firmly, earning a shocked glance from Hinata. "You are not to associate with that boy here or anywhere. Now come." He then started moving again, wanting to get the girl as far away from the scene and the blond orphan as quickly as possible.

Hinata was confused. Why was she being taken away from the person who saved her? Why wasn't she allowed to talk to him? The moment she felt her body start to move and her feet start skidding along the floor as she deliberately attempted to slow her pace, dozens of questions began racing through her mind.

For a brief moment, she looked back at the brave boy who'd saved her. When she did she saw the momentary expression of hurt and dejection fall over him. However, a few seconds later, Hinata saw the young Naruto smile and wave after her meekly, which prompted her to wave as well as a final farewell and thank you. Moments later she and her handler disappeared round the corner, leaving the alley and the mess behind.

Dropping his hand to his side, the bruised Naruto breathed a heavy sigh and turned around. When he saw the lead bully's friends eventually regain consciousness and run away after seeing him glaring at them, the blond youngster then had a long think about the fight that'd just unfolded. Realizing that it was the hard training that he'd done that had gotten him here and allowed him to overcome the three bullies, the youngster then cracked a wide grin and reached up to wipe the blood away from his lip.

"That was fun," he chirped, having not felt so excited and driven before in his entire life. This little fist fight, the physical contact he experienced with another opponent, the interaction with other children through confrontation, the act of saving someone who could also become a potential friend and speaking with them, and facing off against a challenge… he enjoyed it.

No... he loved it.

This revelation of thought had Naruto clench his fist enthusiastically and slam it into his open palm in a guts pose, at the same time a determined glint flickered through his eye. "I need to get stronger… faster… better…"

And to do that, not only would he need to up his training regimen, he would also have to get his nose a little bit dirty. If he was going to have more fun like this, then he was going to have to up the ante…

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Orphan Arc - The Kind Rogue

**Author's Note:** Hi guys. Moving on to the next chapter in Maoyu, and this is where things start to pick up. You see where Naruto's new direction takes him and how it influences his interactions with people, as well as his skills. He begins upping his training and gradually builds his strength.

At his rate, he reaches Genin level at the same rate as Kakashi and Minato did in their youths, putting himself in situations where his skills are continuously tested. But instead of working primarily on chakra and technique, he focuses more on building his physical strength for his own purposes.

And while he does struggle a lot in making friends, he finds solace and happiness through other mediums, even in the most unexpected places. This is also where he meets an unlikely friend, and by the end two.

Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Kind Rogue_

(Over the next nine months)

In the months following his fateful encounter with the bullies and Hinata in that alleyway in the center of the village, Naruto had spent every waking hour of his life working himself to the bone and driving himself up the wall. Within days of making his pact, the blond had knuckled down to continue his training harder than ever before, focusing on polishing up his fighting skills, sharpening his reflexes, and increasing his strength.

Using the foundations lessons being taught to him at the academy as a guide, the orphan set himself a solid and well-rounded exercise routine by starting and ending every single day with a two to three hour workout. In order to maintain growth and consistency with his sessions, he learned early on in his training to write down an outline of his timetable in a notebook that he kept hidden at the orphanage, as well as a running record telling him what he needed to work on every period and what he'd done the day previously. Of course he kept all of this information on a strictly need-to-know basis, not telling a single soul what he was doing or planning.

It wasn't like anyone really cared what he did anyway. Both the caretakers at the orphanage and his roommates didn't even bother to look at him, let alone ask him about what he got up to every morning and afternoon. So why bother?

Even so, Naruto still needed to find out and learn the best possible ways to practice and increase his skills. So on the few occasions he needed to ask a question from a teacher whenever he could get one's attention long enough, he always kept his requests brief, vague and in relation to a different topic, so that he could pick up hints on his next few steps or approaches.

It was a little trick he'd learnt while dodging probing questions from the adults asking him about the graffiti and paintings he sometimes did on the walls in his neighborhood whenever he was caught. He feigned ignorance to these deeds whenever someone actually managed to catch him, and asking discreet questions about training was good practice for the blond.

Anyway, with the knowledge that he managed to acquire from his interrogations, Naruto had managed to set himself a straightforward routine.

Every morning and evening he would start himself off by doing an hour of hard running laps around the village, hurtling and dodging obstacles, avoiding people, and leaping over gaps between buildings. In between these rounds he would throw in hill sprints, vertical climbs, and other hard sets of exercises, including pushups, crunches, squats, chin ups and dips. He also learned to do this run with heavy weight bands, which he'd managed to pilfer from the academy training shed when none of the teachers were looking.

After this he would then head to the same reserve he'd found to continue his session by the bamboo grove. Completely out of sight of any of the villagers, Naruto would use his time here to practice his katas; sparring by himself so that he could polish up his form and using his shadow to make any noticeable corrections. After which he would then move to hitting the bamboo trunks in place of conventional practice dummies, just like how he'd been doing for the last two years. He would power through fast, full on rounds on the makeshift heavy bag for five minutes apiece with fifty second breaks in between, using an egg timer during each round to measure his progress so that he was practically dying at the end of them.

This not only improved his fitness, but also his endurance and stamina to an insane degree.

Hitting the bamboo also focused on toughening his hands, forearms, elbows, knees and shins, as striking the wooden pillars for the first few sessions cut his skin open, bruised it, cracked his bones, and caused his knuckles to bleed. This occurred regularly in the first few months of his new regimen, but after that time had passed he'd managed to strengthen his limbs to the point that they could withstand his level of vigorous striking, allowing him to start putting them through even harsher trials.

Once he'd gotten through the fighting portions of his sessions, Naruto then worked on his coordination and aerial maneuverability, jumping through the forest and bamboo grove's canopy and practicing his acrobatics. During this half hour he would work his muscles by climbing and holding his position in the branches high above the floor. By doing it barefoot, he could also practice holding on with his toes much like a monkey, strengthening his more awkward grips. The first few tries ended in him falling out of the trees and crash-landing in the bushes, even once breaking his wrist and cracking a rib. But once he'd gotten the hang of it he was practically flying through the trees. He also threw in some shurikenjitsu training into the mix, using rocks and stones to hit random targets he'd setup all about the clearing from both the trees and the ground.

After this he would then spend the next hour doing pure strength-based exercises and practicing how to use chakra.

The first part he accomplished by using several of the enormous boulders lying in the nearby field; pushing and rolling them across the open ground, carrying them on his back, or lifting them through various bench and leg press exercises. Initially starting with the smaller rocks, he then slowly moved up to the big rocks, using the extra weight on his wrist and leg bands to make the training even more difficult. It soon got to the point he was lifting boulders eight times his own size and dozens of times his own weight. Sure, this training damn near killed him a couple of times, but nothing was accomplished from not breaking a sweat.

The second part on chakra control he learned from a bunch of textbooks and scrolls he was able to locate in the academy library to see how that was all done.

Though his Chunin instructors hadn't started teaching the class how to use chakra yet, since it was a topic they wouldn't be starting until their third year, Naruto had decided to get ahead on the more complex material, using his time constructively to learn the skills from the ground up. So far he was doing quite well, having managed to pull off a successful kawarimi and henge after only his first month. He was happy with his accomplishments and, with several new goals made, started working on getting creative with using his jutsu.

He would then finish his day off with some meditation and one last shadow sparring round, after which he would then do pushups and sit ups until he couldn't do anymore. That was when he knew he was done for the session.

But his workouts didn't stop at the morning and evening classes.

In between his workout days, while he was walking through the village on one of his aimless strolls, Naruto would happen across a random group of delinquents and troublemakers just hanging around in the back alleys, parks and entertainment district. Normally these guys were pretty quiet on most days and didn't bother people out in the open, but when Naruto went by one of the group of thirteen year olds the very first time, they immediately started trying to antagonize him. The initial wave of goading came in the form of insults and whispers; words like 'monster', 'freak', 'dunce', 'idiot' and all other related slangs flying the boy's way.

When that didn't work, the kids started hocking stuff at him. And that _did_ work.

His second fight after the alley battle was against a group of about ten kids, so it stood to reason why Naruto had a bit of a hard time. Of course he got the crap beaten out of him after downing about five of the delinquents, while the other five knocked him to the ground and used that opportunity to kick him around. The blond actually had to go to the hospital to get some stitches done, and his arm and ribs wrapped up. But after his tenth street fight and eighth loss, the blond orphan began forming appropriate goals and challenges for himself, as well as more intelligent plans of action.

Naruto decided that he would pick his fights smarter.

For the older kids he would start out in smaller groups. But with those around his age he would take them on in larger quantities. If he was going to prove himself top dog in this village and not end up in hospital at the end of every week, then he was going to work his way up slowly and pace himself.

OOO

About three months into his first year, Naruto had once again found himself face to face with another group of four fourteen year olds in a big park, where the kid took his sweet time fighting all of them at once.

The thing about this particular group of ruffians was that all four of them were drop outs from the academy's Genin program; having taken the graduation test twice and failed twice. This meant that each of them was incredibly tough and resilient, more so than the other kids on the street. Even with all his hard hours of training to this day, they were still managing to knock him around a little.

Ducking a hook from the tall kid in a light blue jumper and scarf, the eight-year-old Naruto brought his foot up and thrust a front kick into the punk's ribs, slamming him into a tree on the edge of their clearing. He then blocked a swing from a bokken being used by another boy wearing a black jacket and red cap, who managed to crack him across the forearm, before the blond stepped in and decked him in the face. Managing to break the kid's nose, Naruto then assaulted him with vicious body shots, until one of the older boys in the green vest and arm warmers got him in a bear hug from behind and lifted him off the floor.

Both kids growling angrily as Naruto flailed against the white haired boy's grip, the group's leader then rushed forward and punched the blond across the face. After having his clock cleaned a four times in a row, the blond orphan brought both feet up and thrust them into the raven haired boy's face, sending the kid in the black and white jacket backpedaling away while the punk that was holding him stumbled into a tree behind them. There Naruto managed to force his left arm free and thrust his elbow back into the kid's ribs repeatedly, knocking the air out of him until he let go. After which the blond kid spun around and, leaping off the floor, roundhouse kicked the fourteen year old across the face, knocking him out and sending him plowing into the floor.

Gasping for air, the bruised and bloody faced Naruto then wheeled around to face the remaining three kids, only to get punched across the face and sent into the tree behind him a second time, where he then collapsed to his hands and knees.

Standing over him and also bleeding heavily from his swollen mouth, the raven haired leader of the group in the black and white hooded jacket and purple headband with the Konoha symbol drawn on the front, reached up to massage his jaw. While his two friends staggered back around to join him in a semi-circle, the kid then flashed Naruto a pair of blood red eyes; with each pupil being surrounded by a single black tomoe.

This indicated that the delinquent was an Uchiha; someone who Naruto hadn't fought before and was proving to be the hardest case to crack.

"You're crazy, kid," the Sharingan using punk growled while looking down at the exhausted eight-year-old, who was also looking up at them through a swollen right eye. "Do you… honestly think… you can fight the four of us… at the same time? We came from the academy for crying out loud."

Spitting out the blood from his mouth, Naruto then gave them a very excited and demonic leer. With the way his whiskers and the blood trickling down his face was framed, he actually looked quite intimidating. "So do I," the orphan retorted while forcing himself to his feet, grinning all the while. "You guys… threw rocks at my back… for two weeks straight… because you thought it was fun. Did you think… I was going to just… stand there and take that crap? Hell no!" He then charged forward and bellowed like a wild animal, "I'm kicking your asses, right here, right now!"

The Uchiha leader used his Sharingan to time the kid's approach and match a counter. However, Naruto saw his blow coming a mile away and ducked it, before then tackling the kid in the gut and lifting him off the floor. The wind was effectively knocked out of the head delinquent as he was rammed into an oak tree, where Naruto proceeded to punch him in the gut repeatedly. After blocking a haymaker from the Uchiha, the blond speedily hiked up the kid's forward leg, grabbed the back of his head, and kneed him in the face. The splitting blow crushed the young teen's nose and knocked him out, sending him collapsing to the grass in a bloody mess.

When Naruto dropped to his feet, he was unexpectedly cracked across the back of the head by the kid with the bokken again, the length of wood exploding into a shower of splinters as the blond lurched forward. At first the teen in the cap thought he'd knocked the youngster out, but when the orphan spun around with a fierce, animalistic look on his face, and didn't look like the blow had affected him at all, the attacker knew he was screwed.

A split second later Naruto grabbed the kid by the front of his top, yanked him forward and head butted him in the face. Hitting him once and breaking his opponent's nose, the blond drew his head back and struck him a second time, then a third, and then a forth, dropping the boy to his knees. But then, as soon as he released the unconscious bully, Naruto was struck across the face by a punch from the remaining kid in the blue jacket.

The blow only causing his body to cock momentarily to the side, the whisker-marked academy student then spun back towards the delinquent, blocked a second punch, locked his arm under his, and caught the second punch.

With the kid trapped in his grip, Naruto then lifted his foot and stepped on the boy's ankle, cracking the bone and dropping the punk to his knees. This allowed the blond to then bring his fist up and punch the kid across the jaw. This blow knocked the teen out and headfirst into the ground.

As soon as all four of the two-round academy dropouts had been knocked out cold, the beaten up Naruto backed up into the tree behind him and panted exhaustedly. There the blond proceeded to catch his breath before beginning to limp his way home, all the while leaving the four wounded kids unconscious in the clearing by the park.

By the end of the day, the total score on Naruto's fight record was made glaringly clear. Bullies 12, Naruto 37.

"I'm hungry," the blond orphan muttered to himself as he staggered down the road, passing by dozens of villagers who were all giving the boy worried and fearful looks at the blood caking his face and splattered down his white shirt.

Whatever party he went to, it'd obviously been a wild one.

XXX

All this eventually led Naruto here.

On this particular day, the blond had just finished off another hard morning of exercise out in his private reserve; working himself till he was bruised and sore all over. Sporting a black eye from running into a bamboo cane during his obstacle practice, the young orphan was now trudging back into the village and towards his school for what was hopefully another intellectually stimulating day.

Wearing a completely new outfit from before, consisting of black shorts with an orange stripe on each leg, black sandals, a white T-shirt, and an orange, hooded vest decorated by blue trim, as well as his signature pendant around his neck, the blond orphan could be seen dragging his feet up an empty dirt road through the suburbs. His expression remaining stoic and withdrawn as it normally did, Naruto kept his eyes on the path ahead of him, his thoughts remained fixed on the training schedule he had later on for today.

While he was considering what he should get for breakfast and lunch to take with him to school today, the youngster suddenly heard a commotion nearby and stopped in his tracks. When Naruto looked down a nearby road, he saw a bunch of kids his age huddled around some bushes alongside a fence, all of them shouting and using sticks to poke at something hiding underneath the brush.

Wondering what the heck was going on, the spiky haired orphan decided to throw all caution to the wind and wandered over to go to take a look.

As soon as he was in earshot Naruto spoke up. "Hey, guys. Whatcha doin' over there?"

When the group of three boys and one girl looked over their shoulders from where they were crouching, their expressions immediately switched to looks of terror when they recognized the blond orphan a few feet away from them. Like a flock of birds being startled by a predatory animal, the gang immediately dropped their sticks and ran for it. Of course Naruto was about to call out to them to say that he didn't mean them any harm, but when he saw them disappear around the corner moments later, a downtrodden look then crossed his face.

Naruto then exhaled deeply, "Oh well." Turning his attention to the holly shrub the kids had been gathered around, Naruto caught a glimpse of a small shadow and, stepping over to it, pushed the branches away. "Whoa." He then received one heck of a surprise when he saw exactly what was hiding in the shade.

There, curled up underneath the leaves, he saw a pure white fox staring up at him with a clear expression of fright on its face as it tried to back away into the brush, only to find itself cornered against the fence. Having never seen a fox before, let alone a white one, the young Naruto couldn't help but stare, his eyes taking in its beautiful white coat, cute, pointy ears and fluffy white tail. She also had four small paws, concealing a collection of sharp claws underneath, and gorgeous yellow eyes, which seemed to reflect everything the animal was thinking and feeling at that very moment.

"H-Hello there," Naruto greeted in a soothing voice, not quite knowing what to do with what he was looking at, but at the same time approaching the animal with caution. It was then while he was taking in the little animal curled up on the grass that he noticed the blood on its hind foot, as well as the deep cuts running along its ankle. The blond then gasped and squatted down, "Oh no… your leg." He then reached forward to try and pick her up, but the fox whimpered and backed away. Noticing how frightened she was prompted the lonely orphan to smile reassuringly, "It's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you little one." Using soft words in a hopes of getting her to calm down, he then saw the fox stop shivering for a moment and, hesitantly, hobble towards him.

Using his chance, Naruto took the fox by the waist and brought her into a cradle position. "There. You see. Everything's going to be alright." Being sure to hold her injured leg steadily, he then took a closer look at it. "It looks like you were attacked by something… maybe a wolf or a mountain lion." He then looked around them and at the sticks lying across the ground, which then had him frown deeply. "Those kids probably chased you to these bushes and started picking on you with those sticks. They didn't even bother to try and help. Bastards." After which he then looked down at the fox and smiled kindly at her. "Come on. Let's get you fixed up."

His words earned a curious blink from the fox, as well as a gentle 'yip'. Upon which Naruto stood up and began walking back down the road towards the main street.

Hopefully while he was out getting food he'd be able to stop by an Inuzuka supply store and grab some medical equipment… maybe even get some help…

OOO

(A couple weeks later)

Naruto's attendance at the academy became a little spotty after that, with occasional unknown absences, half days, and early departures from the classroom. Of course the teachers didn't really care too much about the youngster's lack of attendance, nor did they read too much into it. They simply docketed the orphan's lack of attendance while also giving him some extra homework to do at the end of every day to catch up.

Not at all bothered by this development, apart from having additional studying to do after his evening training sessions, the whisker-marked blond kept up this loaded and challenging routine for the next few days.

His odd behavior however soon started to attract the attention of some of the children at the academy who, out of an innocent sense of curiosity, couldn't help but wonder where their blond compatriot was running off to in the middle of every lesson.

This suspicion eventually led to one particular event at lunch time where, after excusing himself early from the classroom, Naruto rushed outside to the playground area beside the quad. Making his way over to a thick grove of trees and bushes growing alongside the oval, particularly underneath a tall oak tree, the blond knelt down at the base of the trunk and pushed away the branches. There, he found a big wooden box with a pillow and a bunch of towels bunched up at the bottom, and the snow white fox lying comfortably on top of them, her rear leg wrapped in fresh bandages.

Seeing her head perk up and her beautiful golden eyes fix on him, the blond grinned and reached into his vest pocket. "Hey there. Sorry. Did I wake you?" His question earned a happy yip from the fox and a brisk tail wag as Naruto carefully pulled his hand out of his jacket. Clearly the little vixen was very happy to see him. "I got you some more food. I hope you like rice balls and pork buns. They're super delicious." He then unfurled the folded up paper bag and, poking his hand inside, pulled out one of the abovementioned treats.

With the little fox on her feet and resting her front paws on the top of the crate, Naruto proceeded to rip small pieces off of the pork bun and feed it to the animal. Just like every time the young delinquent brought food for her she scarfed it all down, showing just how voracious she was while also serving to put a smile on the blonde's face as he fed her. Even as the children from the academy started pouring out onto the playground and grassy areas, the blond stood by his friend, petting her and making sure she was looked after.

The kunoichi who helped him at the pet store said that the poor fox's leg had been mauled badly by a wolf about a day ago, but with some proper rest and care she would be back running and skipping around in just a few short weeks. This was excellent as far as Naruto was concerned, since he was told she would be able to make a full recovery. But until then he would keep her company, ensure her bandages were changed every couple of days, and had all the food and medicine she needed to fight off infection.

Naruto beamed down at the vixen when he petted her on the head, who then licked his palm affectionately. This was then followed by her giving a loud yawn that had the boy shake his head in amusement. "Boy, you sure are a lazy one, aren't you?"

"Who are you talking to?"

The new voice from behind had Naruto's head shoot up with a start, before his gaze snapped over his shoulder. He then blinked in surprise when he saw a cute young girl about a year older than him, with brown hair wrapped in an ox horn style on top of her head, brown eyes, wearing a dark pink, martial arts top with gold trim, green gi pants, and blue sandals, leaning over with her hands behind her back and a curious stare fixed on him.

Not recognizing who this girl was, as she clearly wasn't from his class, it took Naruto a moment to realize he was actually being addressed and stood up. "Oh. H-Hello?" Damn. First words out of his mouth to someone starting up a conversation with him and already he was sounding like an idiot.

"Hello," the girl chirped back before then craning her head around the orphan. "What are you doing over here all by yourself?"

At first not knowing whether telling this girl was a good idea or not, being the paranoid and overly cautious kid that he was, since he couldn't sense any ill will about her Naruto quickly figured that he could trust his instincts on this one. So, inhaling deeply, he then stepped to the side.

"I'm looking after my friend," he answered while gesturing to the box sitting in the bushes.

Moving a little closer, the girl's eyes suddenly sparkled in amazement when she saw a cute little white fox lying inside the crate and staring up at her. Having not expected to see this, her first and immediate reaction was to gush with delight. "Aww… she's so cute." She then skipped over and squatted right down in front of the crate, not even caring that Naruto was standing so close to her. "Hey there. My name's Tenten. What's your name?"

The question had the fox cock her head to the side, almost like she was reacting in confusion.

Tenten then giggled when she realized the question she'd asked. "Oh. Silly. Foxes can't talk." She then smiled up at the blond standing over her and saw his nervous, perplexed stare gazing right back at her. Disregarding it, the newcomer spoke to the boy in a cheerful tone. "Does she have a name? What do you call her?"

Naruto scratched his head nervously while keeping one hand in his pocket, "I'm not sure. I only just found her a couple of days ago. Since she hurt her leg, I… I'm looking after her to make sure she gets better."

"I see," the girl replied, before looking at the fox a second time. Reaching out with her hand, she then gave it a gentle pat, which the fox returned by rubbing her head and face against the girl's palm. Tenten giggled when she felt the animal respond to her touch, "It's so nice that you're taking care of her. Not many people in this village like foxes very much. You're a very kind person for doing this."

Naruto averted his gaze bashfully for a moment, but did his best to keep his neutral expression in play. "Th-Thanks. That means a lot."

Standing up, the assertive Tenten quickly turned to face the blond with her chest puffed out, "What's your name?"

"Oh. I'm… Naruto. I'm a year one student from Suzume-sensei's class," the orphan replied nervously, but then smiled as he looked the older girl in the eyes. "You said your name was Tenten, right?"

"Uh-huh. I'm a year two student from Kirame-sensei's class," Tenten chirped back, before then reaching up and placing a hand over her chest. "When I grow up, I want to become an awesome and strong kunoichi like Tsunade of the Sannin… and become super famous."

Still feeling as nervous as ever, but managing to keep a brave face, Naruto beamed back at the girl brightly. "I want to become a great ninja too. But… I'm not exactly sure like who." He then chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Like the Hokage, I guess. As long as I become some kind of great warrior, I'll be happy."

Feeling herself swell somewhat at hearing the boy's answer, the girl then leaned forward with her hands behind her back. "Hey. Do you want to play with me for a bit?" Her question had Naruto recoil in surprise. "If we're going to become super strong ninja of Konoha someday, then we should try to help each other out as much as we can. What do you think?"

Naruto was unable to hide the stunned expression that came over him or the feeling of warmth that slowly started to fill his chest. Unable to believe that someone was actually asking him to come play with them, the boy quickly fell into an anxious, internal fit, as he quickly glanced between Tenten and the fox sitting in the box by the tree. When he saw the little mammal gazing up at him with a smile, he then gave her a curious look. This then earned a cheerful 'bark' from the snowy vixen.

Nodding in understanding, the orphan turned his attention back to Tenten and smiled. "Sure. I'd love that."

Grinning cheerfully, Tenten then ran out into the open space. Stopping a few meters away, she then spun around and took a stance, her hands held out at her sides and a look of preparation on her face. "Hai."

Realizing where she was going with this caused Naruto to grin and, expression reflecting determination, he also took a fighting stance of his own; one fist out while the other was pulled back. "Hai."

Moments later the two kids rushed at each other and began having a play fight, their hands thrusting at each other in an attempt to tag the other person in a combo. This soon evolved into a rather rigorous kick boxing exchange between the two as both children danced with one another across the open space.

While the pair of youngsters were busy having fun and trying to land a shot on their opponent, the academy students who were also playing outside couldn't help but stare at the pair strangely. Their curiosity was certainly warranted. While some of the kids were puzzled by the duo's rather unusual game, a few of the other students were perplexed by why Tenten, the sweet, energetic girl from the second year class, was playing with the one boy that their parents had warned them day in and day out to stay away from.

As all this was going on, neither Naruto nor Tenten noticed the little white fox watching them from the safety of her wooden box. Wearing a happy smile on her small snout, the vixen observed the pair at play, during which time a blue wisp of fire appeared over the tip of her long, fluffy tail, and flickered brightly under the shadow of the bush.

OOO

(Two and a half weeks later)

That little game at recess with Tenten was probably the most genuinely happy experience Naruto could remember having in a long time. Talking with her, playing tag, and having that round of lighthearted sparring with her made the blond feel more connected and liberated then he had ever imagined having with another person. It was a great.

And the best thing about this particular recess was that it most certainly wasn't his last.

In fact, in the days following his first meeting with Tenten, every time he went down to feed the little fox in her makeshift bed, the girl would always come down to meet him, hang out with him, and play. Hell, she even brought her own food to share with the blond and his snowy companion, which cemented her position as someone Naruto could trust.

His continued interactions with the brown haired girl also filled the orphan with confidence, encouraged him to try harder, and to look forward to his days with a more open heart and mind. Furthermore, it gave Naruto an extra-spring in his step, which came in real handy when it came to his morning and afternoon training sessions, as his little chance encounter with Tenten compelled the blond to train even harder so that he could do much better in their little play matches on the ovals.

And so from then on the days passed and, despite his now regular meetings with Tenten, his overall situation at the academy didn't really change that much. The rest of the kids continued to avoid him, he still found it incredibly difficult to approach groups, and the teachers kept on disregarding most of his inquiries.

As annoying as it all was, the boy still managed to cope well enough with his situation to make it all work and, thanks to Tenten and his new vixen companion adding a little more positivity to his day-to-day activities, he kept at his every day routine of hard in and hard out; toughing it out every step of the way.

During one particular morning session, Naruto was back in his usual bamboo grove, wearing only a pair of old orange shorts, his signature orange pendant, bandages wrapped tightly around his ankles, wrists and knuckles, and a set of wrist and ankle weights. Going through a hard power round of dummy work, the orphan skipped in front of a large bamboo trunk, hitting the pillar with a vicious combination of hard, swift punches, elbows, and kicks. The tree rattled violently under the punishment, at the same time the blond moved around it with his hands protecting both sides of his face and his legs acting as springs.

Over the last few months Naruto had been cultivating a new and unique fighting style all for himself. After a couple of run-ins with a few more delinquents out on the streets, including academy drop outs, the blond had learned quickly that conventional kata and taijutsu just didn't cut it against them. The kids he fought were wilder, more aggressive, bigger than him, and always aimed for either the body or his head. They were also familiar with how students training at the academy fought, which was a really big problem in terms of strategy. This led the blond orphan into developing a martial arts form that allowed him to counter their movements, target all areas of the opponent's frame, and enabled him to use every part of his body more effectively: fists, palms, fingers, forearms, elbows, knees, shins, feet, and forehead.

Though it looked incredibly unusual by shinobi standards, the style Naruto started using was completely original for him and, as his training went on, it slowly started to take shape.

His fighting style combined precision and grace; having both arms held up and out, using his forward hand to measure distance and the other to protect his body and face. The extended arm also allowed him to lead opponents by the head, distract them, redirect weight, and strike while defending himself simultaneously. The form's overall appearance was a cross between Muay Thai and Shandong Praying Mantis, only he'd modified the actions to be far more fluid and lethal. Also, since shinobi tended to use their hands and legs a lot, he repurposed his style to strike at the limbs and all other vital areas of the body using his knuckles, elbows and knees as hard points. He even developed a grappling system, and though he hadn't had much practice with it yet, he was certain it would work.

Wrapping his arms around the bamboo, Naruto tucked in and drove his knees into the side, splitting the surface of the trunk with multiple sharp, piercing blows, before tossing it to the side and elbowing it across the surface, cutting the trunk. After which he then whipped his kick high and across, driving it into the tree's side.

His right foot pivoted on the spot as he repeatedly struck the tower of bamboo in front of him over and over, his shin clashing against the tree in a blur of continuous roundhouse kicks. After a set of fifty in a row with both legs in less than forty seconds, the sweating boy took a deep breath and went back to throwing punches, sticking his left palm out against the wood to measure his distance, before then stepping in with a swift elbow that cracked across the wood and echoed over the clearing.

It was worth noting that the parts of his hands that weren't covered had various different scars and welts, while up and down his shins were a series of black bruises all massed together around the same areas, indicating just how often he'd been hitting the bamboo. However, though his wounds did look incredibly painful Naruto didn't feel a single thing, and continued going at his training at full throttle.

Sitting comfortably underneath a nearby maple with a stack of books sitting nearby and her fluffy tail wagging happily behind her, the white fox was watched Naruto exercise with a great deal of interest. She could hear the boy shouting and breathing hard during and after every combo, and with every blow he threw the impact against the bamboo tree would echo throughout the woods. It was incredible.

What's more, behind Naruto, there were over a dozen bamboo stumps sitting all around him with their tree hosts lying scattered across the clearing, indicating that he'd chopped all of the stalks down using only his bare hands. If the kid wasn't training to be a ninja he would most certainly make a ton of money as a lumberjack. There was no doubt about that.

Eventually after a whole fifteen straight minutes of hard work, Naruto ended his combination with a swift kick to the base of the bamboo tree, his shin slicing straight through the trunk and cutting the entire pillar down. As the stalk collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, the panting blond pulled away and took a deep breath, before turning around and wiping his forehead on the back of his bandages. He then smiled at the white fox he could see sitting under the maple tree.

"That was fun. My hands and legs are starting to get much faster," Naruto said while beginning to undo the bandages around his right hand and move towards the vixen. When he eventually arrived at the trunk, he sat down at the base and had a quick drink from the bottle of water next to him. After which he then sighed. "Maybe while I'm learning how to fight hand to hand, I should learn how to fight with a weapon too. Perhaps with a sword, a tantō or a short blade… something cool…"

Considering ninja fought both empty-handedly and armed, it made sense for him to start using a weapon too. However, he knew he would have to reframe from using it when fighting with bullies and other delinquents out on the streets, because in his mind the use of a tool in a fair fight was just plain dirty and cowardly. He was a boy of honor first and foremost, and he wouldn't do anything to compromise that stance. But should the situation call for it, Naruto figured he would have to at least know how to use a weapon aside from a kunai or shuriken; something that was flexible, increased his range, and allowed him to transition to different kinds of tools at a moment's notice.

At that moment, the white fox curled up beside him used that opportunity to stand up and wander across the clearing. Naruto watched the little mammal amble away from him and, after pacing along the edge of the bamboo grove, he saw her stop by one of the smaller, thinner, six foot shoots growing out of the ground. He then blinked when he saw the fox turn and yip at him after looking the stalk over, bidding him to come over.

"Huh?" Naruto replied, not knowing what the vixen was referring to until he saw the fox lift her front paw and press it against the same bamboo stalk. It was then the blond finally clued in to what she was saying. So, standing up, he walked over to the tree, grabbed its base and cut it with the kunai in the back of his shorts. After stripping off the leaves, the blond quickly found himself holding a six-foot long stick with the weight and thickness of a staff. It was something that Naruto noticed immediately and glanced down at his animal friend. "You want me to learn how to use _this_ as a weapon?"

The vixen's tail waved happily as she gave an affirmative bark in response.

Naruto grinned, "Okay then. That sounds fair." He then held the stick at one end and tossed it in the air, causing it to spin before catching the other end. The boy repeated this action a couple of times while thinking out loud. "There aren't many shinobi who use poles as weapons on the field." Kusari staffs and naginata's were probably the most common, but bo staffs and spears were much rarer, as they were large and weren't all that practical. But if there was any tool he could easily supplement with another, it was this one. "Alright. All I have to do is figure out how I can use this."

The white fox then gave another bark, drawing the boy's attention down to her. When he looked, he saw the vixen walk a couple feet away. Once she did, she suddenly squatted down into a pouncing position and, drawing her tail over her shoulder, thrust it out in a wide swing.

What followed immediately after that first swipe was a sharp and powerful gust of wind that had Naruto lurch back momentarily in surprise, leaves and twigs being sent rushing past him. The fox then swung her tail back in another direction, sending a second powerful blast of wind that sent the leaves billowing upwards, before a third swing from her tail sent them across and past her.

Once the gales finally died down moments later and the leaves cascaded over the clearing, the fox turned back to Naruto and barked happily.

The blond was utterly baffled by what he'd just witnessed. "H-How did you…?" As he stared down at the white fox as she sat there smiling up at him, Naruto then snapped back to reality and smiled. "Do you want me to try and get to that?" When the vixen yipped again, the child nodded in understanding and took a fighting stance, at the same time holding the stick in front of him with both hands. "Okay… so… if I concentrate, add power to my swing, and channel my chakra through the cane… then…" He then drew the staff upwards and, taking a deep breath, thrust it forward. "HAA!"

An awkward silence then settled over the area when Naruto stood there at the end of his strike, staring ahead of him and waiting for the wind. After several seconds past and nothing happened, the unimpressed white fox then shook her head and gave a sad, disappointed bark.

When translated into human words, she'd pretty much said 'Failed.'

Blushing in embarrassment, Naruto turned on the fox and yelled at her in return, "I know! I'll work on it!"

XXX

(A few weeks later)

In order to start himself off on using the Bo staff as part of his training regimen, Naruto went to the school's library once again to check out some books relating to the art of pole and staff-based weaponry.

This topic was something the youngster was deeply interested in following up on for a number of different reasons.

One was because the staff was a greatly seldom seen weapon amongst shinobi. Even though ninja were taught to wield multiple weapons on the battlefield, there was a large number of battlefield ninja who didn't specialize in it, since the weapon was blunt and couldn't cause any real damage. Naruto figured if he could make the Bo staff an integral part of his martial arts and something he could use to disable targets rather than kill them, he'll not only have a leg-up over other opponents in battle, but also catch them by surprise.

The second reason was its practicality. Teaching himself how to use a staff would allow him flexibility in use of other weapons, such as the sword and the spear. What's more, since a staff was also non-threatening and could be disguised as a walking-stick or a walking-aid easier than bladed tools, it was also good for stealth purposes.

You wanted to sneak a weapon through borders, let it be as non-threatening or multi-purpose as possible.

After asking the librarian for any relevant documents pertaining to the subject, Naruto discovered there was a large abundance of old scrolls and books detailing the use of the Bo staff. What's more, since there weren't any people lining up to learn how to use a stick or pole as their weapon of choice, the orphan helped himself to all the essential materials available. So, with a vast collection of knowledge under his belt and his white-furred companion present to observe him, the orphan began moving down the path of a Bo user with all haste.

Being as resourceful as he was enabled Naruto to mix his new exercise in with the rest of his training seamlessly; retracting a few rounds from his usual routines to incorporate several minutes of staff practice. While his first few lessons were slow and clumsy to begin with, as he had to relearn a whole new series of steps from the ground up, he was soon able to get the hang of it and proceeded to thoroughly cover each step one session at a time.

He even had Tenten practice with him during their break periods at the academy, as the girl was also incredibly interested in the art of taijutsu and weaponry. As it so happens, the girl was quite good at using the staff, which gave the hopeful Naruto the ideal opponent he needed to practice his techniques.

This made their little play time during recess and lunch time a little less discreet, prompting the pair to take their fun and games to another spot that was a bit more private.

OOO

The sounds of clacking filled the air as, up on the roof of the academy building, both Naruto and Tenten could be seen sparring with one another with a pair of five-foot long staffs. Spacing out their grips, the two were going through technique after technique one swing at a time, with the brown haired girl leading the combinations. After she had a few hits and the blond orphan deflected them, Naruto then returned fire with the same number of attacks, the two repeating the motion over and over so that they both got a feel for and memorized the moves.

Finishing with a parry of his staff from a diagonal blow, Naruto grinned, "You're really awesome at this, Tenten-chan."

The eight year old girl smirked back, "So are you, Naruto-kun. Even after only a few days of this you're really starting to catch up." She then proceeded to block his staff when he came in swinging from both sides, his arms working as he moved his body in time with each blow. When he finished with the same side-ways strike from before, the defensive Tenten nodded. "Have you finished chapter four already?"

"I'm only halfway through chapter three. Using the form five reverse strike," Naruto informed.

"Well then, this is good practice for you leading up to that," Tenten replied, before once again going through the same combo. As she struck out and Naruto slowly backed away following the same defensive blows, the brown haired girl then glanced across the roof to see the white fox sitting nearby and watching them quietly. It was then a thoughtful look came upon her. "When do you think you'll be letting her go?"

"Hmm… I don't know yet" the whisker-marked orphan murmured, before deflecting Tenten's last strike and following up with his attack, clacking his stick against the girl's vigorously. "The vet said she should be ready in a few more days. So I think I'll take her out to the edge of the village and let her go there."

It was then after blocking his last strike Tenten nodded in understanding. "It'll be sad when she's finally gone. I really like that fox."

"Yeah. I know," Naruto replied before promptly disengaging, bringing his staff to the side and tapping it against the ground. As Tenten also moved out of her fighting stance, the blond smiled at her warmly. "But she belongs to the wild. If that's where she wants to be, then I'll gladly let her go. But if she wants to stay… that's her choice."

The older girl beamed at him, "I'm sure she'll be fine, no matter what she chooses." She then bowed to her sparring partner, a gesture that was reciprocated by her friend.

OOO

Naruto always found it incredibly enlightening speaking with Tenten. Being able to talk regularly and share thoughts with another person who could also speak with him in kind gave him something that he'd rarely had the chance to experience before. And it wasn't just training that they talked about either. Tenten even told him about her parents and what she did outside of the academy during her free time. Even the blond had a chance to talk about himself and share his own interests and living accommodations, which really managed to capture the girl's own curiosity, and give both kids a deeper understanding of one another.

The only thing Naruto wished was that he could be as equally successful at bonding with the other students at the academy as he was with Tenten. For some strange reason he couldn't explain, everyone was still actively trying to avoid him.

As much as it irritated the spiky haired orphan, he wasn't too worried about this at the moment. He had other important things to worry about.

Eventually, after a couple more weeks of training, schooling, and taking care of all his other wants and needs, the day soon arrived for Naruto to release his vixen companion back into the wild.

XXX

(Early morning)

Wanting to make sure his friend got a clear shot out of the village and back into the valleys, waking up at the same time he usually did to train, Naruto carried the little vixen in his arms and out to the farmlands in the East. Following the dirt road through the rice paddies, wheat fields and farms all the way to Konoha's perimeter, the youngster soon found an open glade with long grass leading into a lush forest of evergreens.

Wearing his usual clothes consisting of orange hooded vest, green khaki pants and a red scarf, Naruto slowly and carefully removed the bandages from around the fox's hind leg. Once he did and he saw that her wound was completely gone, a cheerful grin then spread over the delinquent's lips.

"There. You're all better now." When he saw the vixen glance down at her limb and test it, he then walked onto the edge of the field and set the snowy mammal on the short grass. It was here he then gave the fox one last smile and a pat on the head. "I guess… this is where the two of us part ways, dattebayo."

Feeling the fox return his gesture with an affectionate lick to his knuckle, he then settled her down with a few gentle strokes of her back.

"It was a long month… and a lot of weird things happened that I can't really explain… but it was a lot of fun. Probably the best few weeks I've ever had in my entire life." When he saw the kitsune stare up at him following his head massage, the slightly sad Naruto chuckled. "You would think after all the days we've hung out together I would've come up with some kind of name for you. But I guess it's a little bit late for that. Maybe next time." Rising up, he then gave the sitting fox a final salute and turned around. "Take care, okay? And try not to run into anymore wolves." He then walked off, determined to leave before any water works could start up and ruin the moment.

As the child made his way back down the dirt road with his hands in his pockets and a despondent look reflected on his face, the blond suddenly heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder. Naruto then stopped when he saw the little white vixen was following right behind him, her yellow eyes fixed squarely upon his person. When he stopped walking, the fox sat down on the road and barked, her tail flowing elegantly behind her.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Hey. I said that you can go now. You don't need to hang out with me anymore," Naruto said, gesturing her towards the field he'd supposedly left her at. Instead he received a defiant look from the tiny fox, who then barked a second time at him as he tried to wave her away. "Go on. You're free."

In response the white fox got up, walked up to the blond, and rubbed her head and body affectionately against his leg like a cat. She then walked around his limb, nearly tripping Naruto over before she stopped behind him, sat down, and gave another yip of assertiveness.

Staring down at the fox in momentary bewilderment, Naruto's clear blue eyes quickly met her yellow ones. As he gazed right into what were the windows to her soul, she stared right back at him, both of them communicating with one another through thought and silence. In that time, the young orphan unexpectedly experienced a sudden moment of clarity; as he clearly saw what the little fox was thinking and feeling at that very moment.

It was something only someone with a strong bond and attachment to another person or creature could've experienced; a sense that'd been built and developed over a certain period of time. Whether this was purely an emotional thing or something even deeper seated and spiritual, neither of them knew. But after having felt these same emotions fill his head and heart time and time again in the days they'd spent with one another, the child took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gave the mammal a warm smile.

Naruto let out a lighthearted laugh. "You're not finished with me yet, are you?" Seeing the fox smile and bark back at him, the boy then knelt down, offered the vixen his hand, and nodded. "Alright. If that's what you want, then come on."

Yipping cheerfully, the white vixen then leapt up onto Naruto's arm, clambered up and sat comfortably on his shoulder. After which the blond then stood and started walking back to the center of _Konohagakure_ with his new friend in tow.

Looking at them from a distance, one situated on the other's shoulder, and the glow radiating off of their persons, the unlikely child and fox pair looked quite cool together.

While the vixen waved her tail happily and Naruto ambled along at a comfortable pace, the orphan turned to his passenger and grinned at her. "You know, if we're going to be hanging out with each other from now on, I'm really going to have to give you a name." He then glanced up in a thoughtful manner. "Something short, simple, and easy to remember."

The fox barked in agreement, as she then settled into the boy's shoulder and made herself more comfortable.

As Naruto casually followed the winding roads on the village's outskirts trying to think up an appropriate name to give to his friend, the pair suddenly came across a rather interesting scene. Up ahead, both the boy and the fox spotted an enormous, ox-drawn carriage about the size of a shed sitting at the side of the road; one of its four wheels busted and its cargo of heavy sacks of wheat, rice and hay hanging precariously over the side. Drawing closer to it, Naruto then saw a group of three farmers trying to fix the wheel by hoisting the carriage up so that they could replace it.

However, no matter how hard the group of adults tried, they just couldn't get the cart to budge. The weight on it was just too much.

Using ropes and raw manpower, the team of three men in outdoor clothing and straw hats attempted one last time to lift the carriage, with the head farmer calling out 'heave' and 'ho' over and over. Eventually after a few more minutes of getting nowhere, the men gave up.

"Alright! That's enough!" the middle aged worker with the beard and hat spoke, waving for the other two to stop. As they moved away, groaning from the effort of trying to shift the monstrosity of a wagon, the directing farmer walked forward and scratched his head, at the same time addressing his compatriots. "Damn. Looks like we're going to have to bring up the second carriage from the warehouse. It's gonna be two whole hours before it gets here."

"Do you think we could call in a couple of shinobi to try and help us, Dai-san?" the farmer's bald friend, wearing a headband and red shirt, asked while looking at the tilting cart thoughtfully.

"Nah. There's no need to bother the shinobi with something as trivial as this. I'm sure they've got better things to worry about than a broken down cart in the middle of the road," the head farmer replied with a dry chuckle. "If we were to rely on the ninja to do every little thing in life, then what use would there be for us?" He then exhaled deeply and scratched his head. "Forty years on the job and old Saya decides to break down now. What are the odds?"

"Do you guys need a hand?"

The sudden new voice to the scene stopped the clamoring farmers short and drew the trio's attention to the road a few yards away. It was there they finally noticed the young Naruto watching them from the sidelines with a little white fox perched on his shoulder, also observing them. Initially perplexed at the sight of the newcomer, whom all of them immediately recognized as 'that kid', the head workman shared a glance with his comrades before turning back to the child apprehensively.

"Yeah. A dozen more, actually," Dai replied while rubbing the back of his neck, which prompted Naruto to approach them. The farmer then gestured to the wagon and the pair of ox waiting patiently to move. "The spokes on the back wheel have split all the way down the middle and the weight of the entire cart is now leaning to the left. We have to try and hoist it up so that we can get a replacement fitted, otherwise we're not going anywhere."

"No problem," Naruto chirped as he rolled up his right sleeve, walking past Dai and up to the large carriage. "I can lift this cart for you guys. Just be ready with the new wheel as soon as I get it off the ground.

While the other two farmers gathered by the side of the busted carrier backed away cautiously when the boy stood by them, the observing Dai stared at the kid as if he were crazy. "Come on, son. Be serious now. While we appreciate you stepping up to help us, that whole cart and its cargo weighs over two tons. That's about as much as a small rhino. It'll take about ten men to-" He was then effectively cut off when he suddenly saw Naruto lean over, grip the bottom with one hand and dead lift the entire left side of the wagon off the floor with barely a grunt. The child then stood there staring at the men now gaping at him with saucers for eyes, with the head farmer blinking in disbelief. "…lift it."

After about several seconds of standing there, Naruto then nodded to the wagon he was holding up. "Come on guys… aren't you going to fix it?" he asked, his voice cheerful and not sounding strained in the slightest. As soon as he said this the three farmers immediately got to work, hurriedly bringing up the tools and the replacement wheel, and beginning to remove the broken one. It took about two minutes of scurrying about and removing the bolts, but once the switch had been made and all the screws were back in place, Naruto was then allowed to set the wagon back down.

Soon the cart was as good as new and ready to roll, and once it was pulled back onto the main road, the farmer charged with driving it was soon able to go on his way.

"Thanks a lot, kid. I owe you one," the bald workman called back as the ox proceeded to drag the wagon down the road and towards the village.

With the group on the side of the road waving the field man off, Dai then glanced down at the blond standing beside him with a greater sense of reverence. After looking him and his shoulder-riding fox-companion over, he then faced the orphan with a grin.

"That was a fine thing you did back there, lad," the man in the straw hat exclaimed while his neighbor also looked at the blond with a grateful smile. "Honestly, I never expected you to be that strong."

Naruto beamed back at the man and shrugged, "What can I say? I bench press a lot of boulders."

His response had Dai let out a hearty laugh. "After what I'd just seen, that's gotta be true." He then looked the blond over observantly. "I take it you're training to be a ninja then?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto replied with a brisk nod, at the same time reaching up with his hand to rub the white fox under the chin. "I'm only in my first year at school though, but I'm doing my best to learn everything I can and get ahead of the others."

"Well, you're certainly no slouch in the muscle department. There's no doubt about that," Dai remarked, before then reaching up to tip his straw hat to the youngster. "Thanks for the help, kid… and I wish you the best of luck. You're going to need it."

"Yeah. You too," Naruto replied, giving the two farmers a friendly wave as they collected their tools and started making their way down the road and back to where they'd come from. Seeing the pair shrink into the distance about a minute later, the blond took a deep, relieving breath and glanced across at the white vixen resting on his limb, whom he could see was also following the two men curiously with her gaze. "So… should we get going now?"

Receiving a smile from her as his answer, the young blond then began making his way back to the village, deciding to skip on morning training this one time in favor of an early breakfast…

OOO

(Half an hour later)

"How about… Silver?"

'Bark!'

"Mia?"

'Bark!'

"Kai? Spelled with 'Ai'?"

'Bark!'

"Uhh… Tia?"

'Bark!'

Shortly after leaving the farmlands behind, Naruto soon found himself in Konoha's famous 'Ichiraku's Ramen' enjoying a nice hot bowl of rice porridge with a side of bacon, while his white vixen companion sat in the empty seat next to him and helped herself to a plate of assorted meats. The owners of the shop, Teuchi and Ayame, who'd come to know Naruto over the last year as one of their most frequent customers to their store, stood on the other side of the counter listening in amusement as the blond orphan went through a list of potential names for his newfound animal friend.

Needless to say, their little display was proving to be a very entertaining procedure, as they listened to a visibly struggling Naruto come up with all the short pet names he could think of, while the female fox promptly shot each and every one of them down. He'd even borrowed a small flip book from the father and daughter duo to cross off all the potential pet names he'd already managed to come up with.

So far he'd gone through three pages of the notepad and none of the names had even passed the approval stage. In fact, from the defiant look currently on the fox's face, the little kitsune wasn't making it easy on him at all.

Scratching his chin with the end of his chopsticks, a miffed Naruto thought for a few seconds before then grinning and pointing across at the fox. "Shay?"

The vixen shook her head. 'Bark!'

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "Maya?"

Another head shake. 'Bark!'

Groaning as he then rapped his head for a better pet name, the blond snapped his fingers and pointed triumphantly at the mammal. "I know. Skyla! It's cool, it's short, and it's easy to remember. What do you think?"

The white fox seemed to consider his suggestion and, for a moment, it looked like he'd finally struck gold. But then, a few short seconds later, the fox once again shook her head. 'Bark!'

This had Naruto give a growl of annoyance and slam his head on the counter desk, drawing a laugh of amusement from the store owners watching from the kitchen area.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Don't give up yet. Keep going," Ayame giggled as she went about wiping down the oil-covered counter directly in front of the blond. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

"But she's just being so damn picky," Naruto replied while gesturing to the fox, who he could see was watching and waiting patiently for him to come up with an appropriate name for her. Staring at her for a moment, the boy in the vest and scarf then sighed and, scribbling a couple more names on the sheet, then dropped his pen in defeat. "Forget this. I'll just call her 'Dog' and be done with it-OW!" He was promptly cut off when the vixen next to him lunged forward and bit him lightly on the hand, causing him to look at the teeth grooves in his palm before glaring back at her. "Hey! What was that for?"

Teuchi, having seen what happened, couldn't help but chuckle and cross his arms. "I don't think she likes that name very much, kid."

"Naah… ya think?" Naruto hissed, before licking the wound. When he looked back at the fox to see her frowning at him, the blonde's temper quickly vanished and he gave the animal an apologetic look. "Okay. I'm sorry." When he heard her yip back a 'me too' immediately afterwards, the orphan then saw the fox suddenly hop up on the table and walk over to the notebook.

Naruto, Teuchi and Ayame then proceeded to look on as the fox glanced over the notebook in front of the blond. After a quick scan of the sheet, they then saw her reach forward with her paw and, with a single toe nail, scratch two of the hiragana out: _ta_ and _ma_. She then hopped back onto her seat and looked up at the whisker-marked youngster, whom glanced between her and the notebook for a moment before quickly putting two and two together.

"Ta… ma?" Naruto whispered to himself a couple of times, upon which he glanced back at the fox in surprise. "Tama? Is that want your name is?" As soon as he asked this he heard the fox bark and wave her long tail behind her happily, which in turn put a grin on the blonde's face. "Ha-ha! Great! That's great! Tama it is!"

Having watched how the puzzle was promptly solved, the two shop owners spared a momentarily glance at one another before the gorgeous Ayame looked across at the snowy vixen in amazement. "She's one really smart fox. Did you teach her how to do that, Naruto-kun?"

"No. I didn't," the blond laughed, handing the notebook back over to Teuchi, thanking him and turning back to his breakfast. At the same time his now newly named fox friend could be seen eating happily from her food bowl. "I've only been with her for a month and she's already done some incredible things. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she has anymore tricks hidden up her sleeve." He then reached over and gave Tama a gentle pat on the head, moments before returning to his own meal. "But hey… that's one more problem out of the way."

It was then the brown haired Ayame gave the blond a warm smile, as she could see how bright and happy he was at that very moment, "You just take good care of her, okay, Naruto-kun."

The young orphan nodded as he picked up another spoonful of porridge. "Don't worry. I will. You can count on it." He then dove back into his meal with a satisfied smile on his face.

What a month.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Orphan Arc - The Lonely Flute

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Lonely Flute_

(Later that day)

While the students in Naruto's class were more than used to seeing the blond orphan rock up to school beaten up in some way, shape or form, it was a bit of a surprise for them to see the kid show up with a little white fox hanging off of his shoulder. Honestly that was the last thing they expected the blond to walk into the classroom with.

Having come straight to school after breakfast, the young delinquent sat himself down in his usual seat next to the window, away from everybody else. Though all his classmates continued to give him a wide berth as per their usual routine, there was no denying a great deal of interest had been sparked amongst the children when they saw the blond haired orphan petting the little vixen on his table as he read through one of the small manga he'd brought with him.

The majority of the children initially wondered whether Naruto had bought the fox as a pet or had managed to catch one out in the wild. But of course, none of them had the courage to go up and ask him about it and simply kept the discussions between themselves; relying solely on their imaginations to draw up random conclusions.

When the rest of the students and Suzume eventually turned up to begin the lessons for the day, the woman was at first befuddled by the presence of the animal and at first had half a mind to tell Naruto to take her outside. However, seeing as how the Inuzuka children and the members of the Aburame clan often brought their animals with them wherever they went, and that it wasn't against school policy for children to bring animals with them, the Chunin quickly dismissed her idea.

Not wanting to kick up a fuss with 'the boy' as well as stir up a conflict in her classroom, Suzume informed the orphan that as long as the fox didn't bother anyone or disrupt her lessons he could keep her, which Naruto promised that she wouldn't.

The task of actually having Tama sit quietly in the room while the classes were in session turned out to be a much easier job than anticipated. As soon as Suzume's lesson began, the little white fox went right to sleep and remained that way for the next couple of hours. The white vixen just lay there on Naruto's desk, snoring quietly with her tail curled up and her ears lying flat against her head. She was in fact so peaceful that the first two lessons seemed to go by in no time flat, with no hassles or calamities to speak of.

As soon as the bell for recess sounded at the end of first period, the students were dismissed by their teacher and allowed to go out to grab something to eat.

While Naruto remained in his seat reading from one of the combat books he'd borrowed from the library, at the same time sharing a couple of pork buns and dumplings with Tama, the little vixen decided to hop off of her table and go for a little walkabout. At first the boy observed his friend venture across the classroom and prepared to ask where she was going. But figuring she probably just wanted to stretch her legs after her nap, Naruto left her to her devices and returned to reading.

As the blond kept to his studies, Tama walked over to another part of the classroom where she could see a couple of the children eating and talking. After a quick look around, her eyes then landed on the pink haired girl in the red T-shirt standing in the bottom row, along with the blonde haired girl she was close friends with. Suddenly finding an interest in them, the little white fox trotted over and stopped beside them where, upon looking between them for several seconds, gave a cheerful bark to the pinkette.

Getting distracted, Sakura glanced down at the floor to see the white fox smiling up at her. Surprised by the sight of the little critter, the youngster smiled and knelt down, where she then proceeded to pat Tama on the head. "Hey there, cutie. What are you doing over here?" Her question and gesture earned a happy tail wag from the vixen.

Ino, shaking her head, rested her hands on her hips. "Foxes aren't dogs, Sakura. You might want to be careful around her."

The pink haired child giggled back at her friend. "It's okay. This one is very friendly. I'm sure she won't bite." It was then she suddenly felt the head she was stroking disappear from her touch and looked up to see Tama scurrying away. Watching her with interest, she saw the white vixen stop and look back at her. After hearing her give another little bark, both Sakura and Ino then saw the fox hike back up onto the desk where Naruto was sitting, where they watched the blond greet his friend and give her another gentle head rub.

"Where did you run off to, Tama?" the boy asked with a warm smile.

All the fox simply did was glance back at the pink haired girl, before then turning her attention back to her friend.

Sakura, intrigued by the sight of Naruto and the little white fox, couldn't help but look on quietly and observe the pair's interaction. A part of her wanted to follow the fluffy animal, to walk over and talk to the blond, and ask him if it was alright to sit by him and play for a bit. However, another part of her, the part where all her friends and family warned her to stay away from the kid, pulled back on her mind and kept her in place.

With her compulsion to go talk to the kind blond grappling fiercely with the warnings from the people around her, it made it incredibly difficult for the pinkette to choose what course to take.

It was eventually Ino who managed to snap her out of her daze moments later with a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Come on, Sakura. Let's go outside and see if we can find Reina and the others," the blonde in the purple dress said, shortly before leading the way out the door.

Sparing one last glance back at Naruto and Tama, the latter of whom was still looking back at her expectantly, the pinkette hesitated for a moment. Upon which she then jogged after her friend. The white vixen meanwhile remained where she was, looking a little bit disappointed but at the same time invested, before turning back to her meal with her blond haired guardian.

XXX

(A few days later)

While the matter of bringing Tama to school and allowing her to sit with him in his classes had been one of the things he had to deal with, Naruto also had to contend with the strict caretakers at the orphanage he was staying at.

By the time school was out and the blond later returned to the institute with the fox following his afternoon training session, the manager of the residence almost ended up chasing the cute little kitsune out of the house. However, thanks to some good, old-fashioned, eight-year-old charm and some smart political maneuvering, the whisker-marked orphan was able to convince the headmistress to let him keep Tama with him until he was allowed to move into an apartment of his own through the village's independent homestay program for orphans.

Seeing as how that day was only a few weeks away, the caretakers gave Naruto permission to take care of the fox in his dorm, provided she went to the bathroom outside and didn't cause any problems for them.

With the conditions established and an agreement on the floor, it was all smooth sailing for Naruto from then on out.

Over the next week following his negotiations, nothing really significant took place. Naruto just followed the same routine he always did; getting up early in the morning, training, buying himself breakfast, going to school, trying to make friends but failing, play-sparring with Tenten, lunch, more school, afternoon training, and then dinner followed by home time. That was pretty much how the blond lived out every single day of the week, with the exception of weekends. During those periods he spent his time playing with Tama or trying to make nice with the children at the park, putting on his best face and using all the social tact and etiquette he could muster.

That last part however for his weekend was instead replaced with him getting into a small scrap with a couple of bored delinquent teenagers who wanted to try and mug him for his money. In the end Naruto gave each of them three cracked ribs, a concussion, and a free trip to the hospital.

Aside from that incident, everything was great.

However, on one particular Saturday training session, Naruto discovered another interesting aspect about his new friend Tama that he didn't know before.

OOO

After going through several vigorous rounds of shadow sparring and heavy bag work, Naruto was now in the process of finishing up his technique work with his staff. Gripping his bamboo cane in two hands, the blond boy stepped through one thrust after the other, displaying the skills and the abilities he'd been developing with the weapon over the last month.

Performing an upward block, several cross counter strikes, a helicopter spin on the side, and then a downward thrust to the floor, the boy followed-through each blow with all the strength and speed he could put forth. His combos eventually led to a finally and decisive blow; his bamboo stick slapping against the surface of the grass and producing a small gust of wind, which caused the surrounding leaves to billow a few inches into the air.

Once the air settled and the boy remained locked in his position for several seconds, the topless blond in the orange pants, and wrist and ankle weights exhaled sharply and rose back to his feet. After which he then wiped his brow of the sweat that trickled down his eyes and nose.

"Woo… and that's ten." Naruto then turned to his good friend Tama, who he could see was currently sitting beside the same maple tree that she normally rested under while him train. He then chuckled when he saw the thoughtful look she was giving him. "You know, it's a shame you're not an ordinary person, Tama-chan… otherwise I would ask you to spar with me. Even though you're not human, I'm sure you've got some awesome skills you can teach me."

He still remembered that day she showed off that strange wind attack that she used with her tail. Even though she looked like a normal fox, she was far from being an ordinary member of the species. There was just something mystical and mysterious about Tama's character that really spiked Naruto's curiosity, and honestly… he wanted to see what else she could do.

Almost as if she was reading his mind, the white vixen sitting at the base of the tree suddenly stood up and, after giving a quick stretch, bounded over to the blonde's position. The slightly tired Naruto then watched curiously as his friend circled around him to a more open space in the clearing. Whereupon Tama then turned to face the orphan and, her tail rising, feet widening and head lowering closer to the floor, the little fox assumed an offensive, pouncing position.

'Bark!' the snowy vixen exclaimed, giving the boy her signature, foxy smile while her black sclera narrowed into a glare.

It took Naruto a moment to realize what Tama wanted to do. Upon which the boy then grinned and set his bamboo pole against one of the larger trees next to him. "Oh? So you want to spar with me too, huh?" He then walked into the middle of the grove, stretching his arms and setting himself into his Muay Thai stance. "Alright then, Tama-chan. Let's see what you've got! Bring it on!"

Barking one last time, the white vixen's smile then vanished as she suddenly crouched lower to the floor.

From a distance the pair stared each other down, one sizing up the other in what could only be described as a training exercise for a pet. However, just as a smiling Naruto was readying for a charge, the boy then saw the fox's gaze suddenly widen, a split second before she vanished in a white flicker.

At first the blond balked in shock when he lost sight of his friend, shaking his head as he attempted to find out where she'd gone. But that moment ended a split second later when, out of nowhere, Tama suddenly head butted him right in the solar plexus, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending the kid flying across the clearing.

Skidding along the grass to a grinding halt and clutching his gut, Naruto looked up with a start to see Tama land gracefully on the floor several yards away. Before he even had a chance to contemplate what just happened or catch his breath, the orphan then saw the vixen dart to the side in a blur, springboard off one of the bamboo trees and fly right back at him like a bullet. Naruto reacted instinctively, bringing his left arm up and parrying a second head butt from the fox, before his right hand shot up to catch the little kick she spun at him. The surprisingly strong blow knocked the the blonde's hand away, prompting him to cock his left back and jab out at the still airborne Tama.

The vixen calmly dropped to the floor to avoid his punch and dashed to his right at blinding speed, springing up at him a second time with a paw strike that forced Naruto to check with his leg. When he retaliated with a hook followed by a swift left roundhouse kick, Tama gracefully avoided both attacks before suddenly leaping up and, with a quick spin, thrust both her hind feet into Naruto's stomach. The double-kick landed with a loud 'thump', once again knocking Naruto off his feet and sending him hurtling into a cluster of birch saplings on the edge of the clearing.

His body blasted through the patch of small trees, snapping them and knocking them all over, before he was sent tumbling to the ground on the other side. Throwing himself onto all fours and digging his limbs into the ground to cut his momentum, the blond youngster gasped and looked up at his 'opponent', where he saw Tama standing in center of their clearing; her tail waving calmly behind her and body poised, ready to strike.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Naruto whispered, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he massaged the bruises around his gut and forearm. _"What other surprises are you hiding?"_ After which an excited grin crossed the kid's face. "So that's how you want to play, huh? Alright then… let's go, Tama-chan!" Without an ounce of hesitation, the blond then sprang off of the ground and sprinted right at his friend, with the little vixen barking and charging at him in kind.

The kitsune leapt at him at the exact same time Naruto threw a right cross, his knuckles colliding with the fox's forehead and causing a loud 'bang' to ring out as a small gust of wind rippled across the clearing.

For the next hour after that the two sparred with each other, with Naruto pulling out all the stops to try and best his agile and ridiculously strong friend. By the time the morning ticked over to breakfast and the pair were done tagging each other across the bamboo grove, the blond had ended up so beaten, bruised and exhausted that he was surprised he could even move.

Tama on the other hand didn't have a single scratch on her, nor did she look tired in any way. As surprising as the outcome was, Naruto didn't question it in the slightest. Instead, after thanking the little vixen for an awesome fight and promising to do it again next lesson, the boy got up, got dressed, and carried his friend on his shoulder back into the village to grab something to eat.

XXX

(Over the next month)

Aside from the sparring matches with little Tama, the training regimen for Naruto didn't change all that much. The only difference was that instead of hitting a couple of trees that couldn't fight back, he actually had someone there for him in the mornings and afternoons that he could trade and match blows with.

Though Naruto kept to his usual practice of hitting the bamboo to toughen up his limbs, he could also now work on increasing his fighting senses and reflexes by trying to land blows on the tough yet nimble snow fox. As unusual as the practice was for a normal human being, for a shinobi training to combat a multiple variety of foes, this was a welcome new element for the orphan.

In spite of his discovery, Naruto chose to keep Tama's abilities a secret from everybody else. Seeing as how her skills were suspiciously ninja-based, he didn't want to cause any trouble with the village's authorities by letting everyone know that his fox was incredibly strong. The little vixen also wanted to maintain this secrecy as well, as whenever the two of them were out in public they would maintain the illusion that both of them were simply undergoing an ordinary owner and pet form of partnership. Even with Tama's extraordinary level of intelligence, nobody seemed to take any real notice of the odd behaviors the pair exhibited together.

It was only during Naruto's training sessions that the white fox showed off the supernatural side of her, which took the form of the blond fighting head to head with the vixen and receiving a multitude of bruises by the end of the session.

As painful as some of the hits were, Naruto didn't complain one little bit. In fact… he was actually pleased to have someone that could actually make him work hard, even if she wasn't human.

Tenten's help was also deeply appreciated. Even though Naruto didn't go all out on her, seeing as how they were friends and enjoyed the times they spent with each other, their spars were limited to play and technique work. Seeing as how they couldn't actually fight between their year levels without getting into trouble, they kept their techniques and their strengths at a reasonable limit so that neither of them wound up in hospital.

With his training having taken another interesting turn, Naruto continued pushing through the days as they rolled by one after another. After settling into all the changes, he then tried committing more of his efforts into trying to connect with some of the other children at the academy. But every time, without fail, the blond would meet the same dead ends and the same let downs as he always did, as his presence was either effectively ignored or avoided.

Because all his efforts to try and get close to the other children being constantly thwarted by this unknown force in the community, Naruto soon began to wonder to himself whether he would actually be able to find another friend; someone he could actually hang out with every day, talk with, and share an emotional bond with, without that person actually being taken away.

As gentle a soul as he was outside of his hobbies, with all his bad luck and disappointments, someone was bound to come around sooner or later. He just had to wait.

XXX

It was another hot Sunday and, after a healthy breakfast, a good wash and a productive morning, Naruto had decided to hit the streets to do a bit of shopping before heading over to the shopping district for some fun. Seeing as how he wanted to get some new clothes before he moved into his new apartment in the next few days, the youngster wanted to see what was on special. He figured he could also go to the arcade afterwards for some games, as well as to try and join in with some of the local kids.

He'd also brought Tama along with him. Normally the fox would be sleeping the entire day at the orphanage on top of his bed, but on this particular occasion he felt like bringing her along to show her more of the village. Since it was a weekend day, he expected the streets to be calm, peaceful, and the crowds relatively tame.

As Naruto scanned one of the many outdoor stands along the main boulevard of _Konohagakure_ 's shopping quarter and inspected the snacks on display, the blond smiled hopefully to himself. "I should think about learning how to cook good food for myself for when I finally move out into my own place. That way instead of eating out, I'll be able to save money by buying supplies in bulk. I can make friend rice… wonton noodles… barley soup… and maybe even ramen."

He loved ramen.

It was in fact the first food that Naruto ever ate outside of the orphanage that he deeply enjoyed and something that'd embedded itself on his tongue's memory glands. It came to him after one of his little explorations around the village in the first where he just happened to come across _Ichiraku's Ramen_ outside the central market district. Since he had some pocket money on him and didn't really know what he wanted to have for dinner, he'd decided to stop by and have some. That first bite he had from his first bowl of miso felt like he was taking a bite out of life itself; away from all that stale and hollow orphanage food.

It made him feel happy… _alive_.

Turning to look at Tama, who he could see was quietly lying over his shoulder, the boy grinned brightly. "I might even learn how to make beef curry stew with hard boiled eggs and rice. I know how much you love that."

The white vixen responded with a cheerful bark and a happy wave of her tail.

"I'll stop by the library and pick up some cook books. Then afterwards go to the training store to buy a proper scroll for gear."

With the thought of possibly learning how to cook all sorts of good food reverberating through his head, the eight-year-old youngster in the orange khaki shorts, white shirt, and blue jacket with white flames on it grinned boisterously to himself, at the same time paying the man at the snack stall for a bag of his finest peanut brittle and Apam Balik. Upon which the orphan then began heading down the road towards another store, humming a jaunty tune.

Just as he was watching the windows of the nearby stores flicker by, momentarily stopping to tilt his head at a few toys on display in a convenient store, Naruto was suddenly distracted by the sound of shattering glass followed by shouting. As both he and Tama looked further up the street, the pair suddenly caught sight of a commotion taking place at the local bakery, and watched as a stack of bread just outside the door got knocked over by a tiny, red-haired figure bolting out of the shop and down the street.

This small person was quickly pursued by the large, burly storeowner. Dressed in black slacks, white shirt and a striped apron, the bald, heavyset man in the mustache stopped several feet from the store waving a wooden rolling pin in the air above him, at the same time shouting angrily after the fleeing perp.

"OI! You stinking, brat! Get back here!" the man barked fruitlessly as he watched the person in question duck down an alleyway. "THIEF!"

Naruto blinked curiously, as did Tama, the two of them looking on quietly as the fat baker gave up on his cursing before trudging back into his shop. Wondering what that hubbub was all about, the youngster quickly put aside all the plans he had for the next hour and, following his instincts, abandoned his path on the main road to begin tracking the would-be offender…

XXX

(Several minutes later)

Many blocks away from the scene of the disturbance on the market street that didn't seem to gain much concern from the local villagers, the red-haired bakery thief had taken a rest stop along a footpath behind a long fence and some warehouses. It was a spot where they were certain they wouldn't draw any attention to themselves, and was well out of the way of the populated centers of the village. This was especially good in wanting to retain a low profile, as the figure slowly crept out from behind the tree they were using for support and made themselves visible to the sun.

The mysterious little figure was quickly revealed to be an eight year old girl, with lightly tanned skin, sharp brown eyes, and shoulder-length, unkempt pinkish-red hair; most of which was covering a fair yet muted face. In addition to this, the youngster was also adorned in a pair of khaki pants, a brown obi, and what was formerly a crisp white shirt. However, as it was apparent from her current condition, all of the clothes she was wearing were worn out and torn from weeks of walking through dank alleyways, thick undergrowth, and lying in stacks of garbage, as they were also stained and faded from lack of proper maintenance. This and the fact that she was clutching a couple loafs of bread to her like they were her most treasured possessions indicated that she was most definitely a street urchin.

Hell, she didn't even have any shoes or sandals to protect her feet.

Her eyes cautiously glancing about her area, the red-haired youngster took a moment to squat by her tree and, leaning over the bread she'd swiped, began devouring one of them at a hurried pace. Not even caring she was getting crumbs all over herself or her face, the girl ate the entire stick in a matter of seconds, before slowly moving on to the second one.

Pace slowing as a momentary look of satisfaction crossed her, the sound of a dog barking suddenly startled her out of her reverie. Eyes looking about wildly, the filthy and exhausted girl then took off, making her way down the path towards the river that cut through the village outside of the market square.

Following the footpath towards the bridge, the mysterious girl was well on her way to crossing it and getting out of the area, only to suddenly find her path blocked by two young boys, both of whom were a couple years older than her, stepping out from behind a nearby tree up ahead. When the pair marched onto the road and stood in front of the girl, the child stopped and stared up at the intimidating boys in fright.

"Hello. What do we have here?" the oldest boy, a young teenager with white hair, jeans, and white jumper asked while leering down at the girl dressed in rags. "It looks like a little mouse has lost her way." His comment earned a snicker from the brown-haired boy wearing the red singlet and jeans next to him.

Backing away fearfully, the red-haired girl was about to turn and run, only to unexpectedly walk into the stomach of a third person, who immediately grabbed hold of her. Dropping the bread she was carrying when her wrists were taken, the little urchin let out a cry of surprise as she then attempted to fight her way out of the person's grip, but to no avail.

"No! Get off me!" she shouted while struggling to wrest her arms free. "Bastards! Let me go!"

Chuckling, the boy that had appeared behind the girl was soon joined by two others, one of whom appeared directly alongside them. "She's a little big for a mouse, don't you think?" the tall punk with dark brown hair, red hoodie and green pants asked.

"I'd say she looks more like a rat than anything else," the other, large boy in the black shirt with a white kanji symbol on the front remarked while also looking their prey over.

Grinning, the teen with short hair in the blue jacket with multiple brown pockets, slacks, red cap and with a band aid pulled across his nose chuckled. "She certainly smells like one. There's no doubt about that." It was then while he was restraining their catch that he suddenly noticed something sticking out of the girl's obi and craned his head at it. "Huh? What's this?" The kid then reached down and grabbed it, at the same time releasing the youngster and letting her stumble out of his reach. "Is this some kind of blow gun or something?"

Gasping when she saw the thin metal tube the boy was holding, the red head ran up to the lead bully frantically. "G-Give that back! That was my mother's!" she shouted, only to be shoved to the ground by the ring leader's two friends stepping in her way and giving her a firm push. The girl yelped in pain when she hit the floor. "Ow!"

"Oh. It's just some stupid flute," the ring leader said, looking the musical instrument over before trying to give it a puff. Not getting even a bit of sound from it except a dull whistle of wind, the boy in the cap scoffed. "Gah. How do you even play this thing?!"

While the other two boys up the road came to form a circle around the area, leaving no chance for escape, the little girl lying on the ground, elbows and arms bruised, looked up at the gang surrounding her with tears forming in her eyes. "P-Please… give that back. It… It's all I have left of my mum…" the girl whimpered, now starting to shiver when she saw the boys roughly handling her treasure.

Chiefly ignoring the homeless girl, the leader of the group of delinquents smirked and tightened his grip around the instrument. "Well… if I can't get any music by blowing on it, then maybe I can try _another_ way." He then pulled it back over his shoulder in a motion that clearly indicated he was about to strike it against the ground. "As a drum stick!"

The little girl's eyes widened in horror and she moved to try and stop the boy. "No! Please!" But it was too late.

With a shout, the ring leader swung the flute he was holding at the floor. However, before his arm could come around for a full swing, the older boy suddenly felt his entire body jerk to a stop when a hand grabbed him by the forearm. Looking over his shoulder the moment he felt the flute slip out of his hand, the confused teen in the cap then gave a yelp of pain when his arm was suddenly twisted into a lock and his body was thrown in a full circle, before being sent crashing to the floor.

Tumbling back down the road he'd come from with several yelps of pain, the delinquent in the cap gave a low groan and quickly scrambled back to his feet. He then glared up through a pained expression. "What the hell?! Who-" He then stopped mid-sentence when he saw the person that had thrown him.

Standing defensively in front of the poor girl on the ground with a shopping bag slung casually over his shoulder, the gang of five delinquents spotted the familiar form of the spiky, blond haired orphan Naruto. Gripping the girl's flute in the same hand as his bag of goods, the youngster in the orange shorts and blue jacket huffed as he looked between the gang members threateningly.

"That's enough. Leave her alone," Naruto said in a low voice.

While initially confused and mildly intimidated, the ring leader then balked in surprise when he finally recognized the kid. "Hang on. Aren't you-"

The fat boy standing to the orphan's right gasped and slid his feet out into a crouching stance, an angry expression forming on his face. "It's that blond brat again! The one who beat up Satoshi Uchiha and his team several months ago!"

It didn't take long for the other delinquents to finally recognize the youngster as well, with the tallest one of the group giving the orphan a fierce yet nervous glare as well. "Wait… isn't he the same runt that said he was going to be Hokage as well?"

"You mean that one kid you said you guys beat up a little while ago?" the boy with the white hair and jumper standing behind Naruto remarked. " _That_ kid?"

"Yeah! That's him!"

The bully in the cap then grinned broadly and straightened up to full height in front of the newcomer. "You've got a lot of nerve stepping in like that, blondie. What? You didn't get enough last time and decided to come back for another ass-kicking?"

Scanning the trio in front of him, particularly the one he'd disarmed and thrown to the floor moments earlier, Naruto quickly identified the group as the same three boys he'd fought with over a year ago when he caught them in the act of harassing his classmate Hinata. He easily remembered their faces as if it were only yesterday and, with the memory of their fight reverberating clearly in his head, the youngster frowned angrily.

"Though I have no clue what kind of 'ass-kicking' you guys are talking about, I do remember beating the snot out of _you_ three about a year ago. Back then I was just a weakling and a novice. Hell, I hadn't even been in a proper fight before that," Naruto informed, at the same time craning his head sideways and glaring menacingly at the group. "But now things are different… and I'm dozens of times stronger. So why don't you idiots get lost before you get hurt?"

A nervous bead of sweat running down the side of his head, the lead bully in the cap and jacket spat to the side irritably, "You cocky brat. Do you think it'll be the same as last time?"

The teen in the red singlet raised his head. "There's five of _us_ and only _one_ of _**you**_. What makes you think you can take on all of us and win?"

Naruto glanced back at the last teen that spoke. "Five times zero still equals zero, moron. Your numbers don't mean anything to me."

"Huh? What did you say?" the kid retorted while stepping forward, only to hold himself back at the look the leader was now giving the juvenile interloper. "Are you trying to act tough?"

"We've gotten a lot stronger too, shrimp!" the leader stated while stepping forward while yanking his hands out of his pockets. "Don't underestimate us! The five of us can still crush you!"

"Go ahead and try, if you dare," Naruto shot back, glaring at the taller kid before chancing a look at the two boys behind him, both of whom were edging around the red haired girl on the floor for a better shot at him. "But I warn you, if you don't put me down in the next twenty seconds…" He then pointed at the tallest bully, " _your_ head is going up…" He then pointed at the fat kid across from him, " _his_ ass."

While most of the boys standing around Naruto looked at one another cautiously, as the rumors they'd heard about the blond started to circle amongst them more prominently, one of the two boys behind the blond quietly moved to the side of the road and picked up a large brick lying amongst the rocks. At the same time the tallest kid in the band pulled a long, sheet of timber from behind his back, and brandished it threateningly like a bat.

During which time the red haired girl lying on the ground couldn't help but look up in awe at the blond standing at her defense.

This was the first time she could remember anyone coming to her rescue before. The fact that he was outnumbered five to one, was easily two to three years younger than the gang surrounding him, and wasn't even scared in the slightest, made his actions appear even more chivalrous and amazing.

It was when she saw the boys surrounding the blond approach him with a couple of weapons in hand did a lump of fear suddenly nestle in the pit of her stomach, as her eyes then widened in fear for her savior's safety.

Meanwhile, just a little ways down the path, the little white fox Tama walked out from the bushes and sat in the dirt path, watching to see how the entire confrontation would play out.

"Big talk coming from a runt like you," the head delinquent in the cap scoffed.

"Now piss off!" the tallest delinquent roared, lunging forward, swinging the length of wood back and bringing it straight down on top of the blonde's head.

The red headed girl lying on the floor gave a shriek of fright, as she thought she was about to see Naruto's skull get split wide open.

However, much to her and the gang's shock, the instant the think plank of wood smashed over the top of the kid's head, the top half of the weapon exploded into a shower of splinters. What's more not only did Naruto's stoic expression remain completely unchanged, but neither his head nor his body budged an inch, even after being smashed over the top of his skull by the full force of the boy's blow.

The tall kid now brandishing the broken stick backed away in shock while his four friends gaped in disbelief. They initially thought the blond would move out of the way and avoid the attack, allowing them to surround him and beat him up. But the orphan just stood there, unmoving and unflinching, while bits and pieces of the timber used to hit him rested in his hair and jacket.

Even the girl kneeling behind him was stunned.

Feeling a twinge of fear rush through him, the boy in the red singlet carrying the large brick then raised the square rock above his head and yelled. "Trying to act like a bigshot, huh?! WELL TAKE THIS!" With a mighty bellow he threw the rock at the back of the blonde's skull.

Just like before, the moment the brick struck Naruto's head, the lump of red rock shattered uselessly against his cranium and cascaded to the road in a shower of debris. Once again Naruto didn't budge an inch, a sight that had the five boys immediately take a frightened step back.

Seconds later, the orphan gave an exasperated sigh. "You aimed for my head." The kid's tone was flat and monotone. But as he proceeded to speak Naruto's voice gradually became more and more menacing, causing the five delinquents to start trembling. "You do know a blow like that can kill a guy, right? This means you were trying to kill me, right?" In that moment, the blond looked over his shoulder and his glare locked onto the last boy who struck him. The sight of the orphan's blue eyes gleaming through the shadow of his hairline had the teen in the singlet shudder. "So then whatever happens next… is what you deserve, _**right**_?"

Before the brown-haired kid in the tank top could respond, he suddenly saw Naruto's body shimmer, a split second before a loud and sickening 'crack' rang throughout the area. That was the sound of the blonde's fist effectively burying into the boy's face, the force of which not only sent him spinning into the air above the road, but also ripped all the clothes off of his body in an instant. Seconds later the delinquent's underwear clad form crashed to the ground several yards down the road, where he bounced and rolled to a painful stop.

After looking back at his friend's crumpled form in disbelief, the white-haired teen then growled and lunged at the blond boy with the shopping bag standing a few feet in front of him. "Damn you, you monster!" he roared while throwing a punch out at him.

Naruto, expression remaining completely neutral, casually slipped the punch and drove a sideways knee into the boy's stomach. Nailing him in the solar plexus, not only did he send the teen flying off the road and down the hill towards the river, but he also caused him to throw up before hitting the grassy incline and rolling into the shallows.

Turning around to face the other three boys behind him, he saw the biggest of the trio charging at him for a tackle, passing right by the red haired girl on the ground without a second thought. Not even appearing remotely surprised when he saw his former bully come screaming at him, Naruto merely stepped to the side and, thrusting his arm out across the boy's neck, turned in and casually swept his landing foot out from under him. The one-handed Muay Boran move sent the boy crashing into the floor face first, where he ended up lying unconscious with his nose busted and his ass in the air.

As soon as he put the boy in his place, Naruto then turned to face the tallest of the delinquents, who came lashing out at him with a series of wild punches. Effortlessly dodging the first three, when the kid came in with one last haymaker the orphan gracefully slipped around him, catching him by the wrist and twisting around his blow to chop him in the back of the head. The sharp 'crack' of his attack sent the lanky delinquent flying into his friend, where his face ended up slamming between his friend's butt cheeks and leaving him lying out cold in the most hilarious position imaginable.

And so in a matter of seconds Naruto's prophecy had come full circle.

With four down and one more to go, Naruto then casually turned towards the ring leader, whom he saw was backing away with a terrified look on his face.

When he saw the shorter blond approaching him with his unnervingly blank expression in play, the cap-wearing antagonist gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Y-You damn monster!" Giving a growl of courage, he then charged forward with a scream. "I'm knocking your ass down if it's the last thing I do!" He then threw a punch right at the young orphan.

Unfortunately for him that was the only thing he was able to do. The moment his attack was let loose, Naruto stepped in, dodged it, coiled his arm around the boy's head, and kicked his legs out from under him from behind. His blow hit in the form of a clean sweep, sending the head bully spinning through the air a total of three times, before crashing to the ground right on his back and neck, his legs swung over his head and leaving his ass hanging prostrated towards the sky.

Seeing the fight done, Tama smiled proudly before getting up and slowly beginning to walk back to her blond partner.

With the path and roadsides littered with bodies of fallen delinquents, the undamaged Naruto breathed a sigh of relief before looking back at the street girl behind him. When he saw the adolescent gawking up at him in amazement, the blond smiled and walked over to her, where he leant over and offered her a hand. "Hey, are you okay?" Seeing the redhead shirk away, the blond grinned. "It's alright. I won't bite."

Shivering as she looked up at the strong boy, the redhead gulped and tentatively extended her hand to him. Fingers gently curling around his palm, the urchin was effortlessly lifted to her feet and stood facing her savior. The moment she was up she then saw Naruto hold her flute out to her in a warm and friendly gesture.

"And I believe this is yours," the blond chirped.

Eyes widening when she saw the instrument, the red haired girl quickly took it, clutching it to her chest like it was her lifeline. Smiling and breathing a sigh of relief when she felt its familiar presence resting against her, she then looked up at the good Samaritan and beamed. "Th-Thank you."

"You're welcome," Naruto replied while giving her his signature, cheerful grin.

After everything that'd happened in the last few minutes, being attacked by delinquents, being rescued, and then having her treasured flute returned to her, getting a face full of her blonde protector's smile suddenly had the girl freeze up and her heart skip a beat. Feeling blood rush up to her face, the redheaded urchin stared at the kind delinquent in front of her for several long seconds. During which time she felt something small brush against her leg and jumped when she saw a little white fox leap up onto Naruto's shoulder, turn and lie there.

Staring at the enchanting animal for a few seconds as it gazed back at her, a sudden question from her good-looking savior soon snapped her out of her reverie.

"I'm Naruto. What's your name?" he asked.

Shaking her head, the street kid looked away momentarily before smiling back at the young delinquent, "I-I'm Tayuya."

Her response had Naruto liven up a little more and his chest fill with a small sense of achievement. "It's nice to meet you, Tayuya."

OOO

(Sometime later)

After Naruto had pretty much trounced the five delinquents, three of whom had been responsible for setting him on his current path, and leaving them all unconscious by the river, the young passerby then continued on his task of providing aid. This took the form of the ninja-in-training escorting the half-starved and homeless Tayuya over to _Ichiraku's Ramen_ and buying her what he assumed was the biggest lunch she'd had in a long, _long_ time.

Also ordering himself a helping of miso soup and a side of iced tea for the both of them, Naruto then proceeded to watch as the red-haired girl consumed not one, not two, but _three_ whole portions of noodles in a single sitting. She went through them like a pro, practically shoveling the contents of each bowl down her throat as if she were a bottomless pit. All the while Naruto was unable to keep the big smile from appearing on his face, as he could see that his gesture of kindness and goodwill was actually doing something for a change.

As this was going on, Tama was sitting on the counter eating a small plate of ribs, carrots and cabbage, and was clearing enjoying herself by the way her tail was wagging.

While he continued to observe the girl as she ate, Naruto decided to strike up conversation. "It's pretty good, isn't it?"

Glancing across at the boy mid-consumption, Tayuya blushed and quickly slurped up the noodles she had hanging from her mouth, before replying in a very tomboyish tone of voice. "Yeah. It's awesome. I can't remember the last time I ate ramen this tasty before."

Grinning broadly, Naruto then looked across the counter towards the store owner, who he could see was diligently cleaning cooking utensils and equipment over at the sink. "You hear that, jiji? She loves it."

Easily able to hear the pair over the clatter of dishes and the bubbling of pots, Teuchi smiled and gave his customers a thumbs-up. "Only the best for my favorite customer! The next serving is on me!"

"Sweet!" Naruto cheered, throwing his fists up momentarily before turning to the girl seated alongside him. "Your review just got us two more bowls."

Beaming back at the youngster, Tayuya then picked up the bowl she had in front of her and drank the broth. Several gulps later the redhead set it back down on the counter, at the same time exhaling in delight. "That was good."

Naruto blinked as he watched the girl push the empty bowl to join the other two sitting next to her. "You must've been pretty hungry, huh?"

Hearing this question brought a frown back to the girl's face, who then lowered her head sadly when she felt the handsome boy's gaze on her. "I… haven't eaten anything in three days." Grabbing the hair hanging over her shoulder, Tayuya then proceeded to stroke it in a distressed manner. "I've had to dig through garbage cans and steal unfinished food from outside of restaurants just to keep myself from starving. It really stunk."

"Are you from this village?"

"No. I was born in a town far away from here," Tayuya answered, her expression remaining crestfallen. "I snuck into this village in the back of a farmer's carriage trying to look for some food… and have been hiding out here ever since."

"How long have you been living on the streets?" Naruto asked in a concerned tone.

"I don't know. A couple weeks now… I guess," Tayuya said under her breath, her body visibly curling up as a result.

The blond orphan couldn't help the sad look that appeared on his face when he heard the girl say that, as he could feel the fear and sadness wafting off of her. "And in all that time you've been living on the road… all by yourself?" Seeing the street girl nod, Naruto inhaled sharply and leaned against the tabletop dejectedly. "Well… even though I know a thing or two about living rough, I can't imagine all the stuff you must've gone through."

Still caressing her hair nervously, the red haired girl whispered, "Ever since mum died, I've been moving from village to village for weeks… trying to find a place to live or another family to take me in. But every time I tried to settle down somewhere, I always ended up being chased away." Tears forming in the corners of her eyes, the youngster then started to shiver, as her body was rocked by waves of grief, hurt and anger. "It's the same in this village… nobody here even bothers to look at me… and those who do, look at me like I'm some kind of damn rat. People walk away when they see me sitting on the side of the road… and whenever I try to ask people for money or food, they just turn their fucking backs on me. They treat me like I'm nothing… they don't want to have anything to do with me." Taking an uneasy breath, Tayuya then gave a sob before leaning forward, wrapping her arms over her stomach as her fear and anxiety gradually began to take over. "I have nothing… I'm (sob)… I'm all alone…" She whispered the same three words over and over again, her voice disappearing as a harsh cold gripped her chest.

Feeling a sharp pain jab at his heart upon seeing the redhead start breaking down in front of him, Naruto sat up and quickly began thinking of something to say.

He wanted to comfort the girl, to tell her that everything was going to be alright, and that it wasn't the end. Panicking at first, the blond tried to find the best way to phrase and put together what needed to be said. But then, just as he was about to speak up, he was suddenly hit by a powerful and irresistible urge; one that gave him the answer he needed right then and there.

Unable to fight it, with the sounds and tears of sadness the girl was shedding spurring him on, Naruto then leaned over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her shaking stopping for just a moment, at the same time her red eyes slowly turning towards him, the blond then gave Tayuya a gentle and supportive smile.

"You don't have to be anymore," Naruto said, causing the homeless girl to look at him in confusion. Knowing he had her attention, the boy decided to go for it, "You can stay here in the village with me… and I promise you'll never be alone or go hungry ever again."

Eyes widening when she heard this, Tayuya straightened up and gaped at the boy with an expression conveying a mixture of disbelief and hope. "R-Really? You… you mean it?"

"Yes. I mean it," Naruto replied, reaching over and taking her hands in his. Almost immediately he felt her shivering stop and his warmth spread into her. "I've been on my own for as long as I can remember, so I know what it's like to be scared, alone and hurting… not knowing where to go or what to do. If I can do something to help someone who's feeling the same way as I did, I wouldn't hesitate for one second to give them a hand. It's just the kind of person I am." Giving the girl a bright smile, he saw more tears leave her eyes as her expression went through the phases of amazement, sadness, doubt, and finally joy. "A girl as nice as you shouldn't be treated like they don't exist… or be left alone in the cold." When he saw Tayuya bring her hands up to cover her mouth as tears flowed freely down her face, the still beaming Naruto nodded and extended a hand to her, in a gesture of trust and friendship. "Will you let me help you, Tayuya?"

Doing her best to contain her sobs, the scared and tear strung girl responded with a brisk nod. "Uh-huh…" Wiping her tears away on the back of her arms, Tayuya, overwhelmed with emotion, threw herself at Naruto and gave him a firm and well-deserved hug. During which time she was able to bury her face into his shoulder and let out her pent-up feelings through a series of whispers, sniffles, and deep breaths of air. His jacket was able to muffle much of her crying.

This being the first time he'd ever been hugged by another kid his age, Naruto didn't know what to do at first. The feeling felt so foreign to him. So unusual. But after his brain finally processed the meaning and the general mechanics of the motion, the blond quickly reciprocated the girl's actions and returned her hug with one of his own. Separating moments later, he watched the ragged Tayuya wipe her dirty face dry and beam at him, at the same time two more bowls of ramen were set down in front of them.

Having watched the entire scene play out, a deeply moved Teuchi couldn't help but beam with pride and happiness as he looked between the pair of youngsters. "Enjoy the food you two." It was the only thing he could contribute to such a tender moment without spoiling its magic, and it worked.

Even Tama was beaming brightly from where she was lying, her yellow eyes sparkling with happiness for the young Naruto.

"Thanks, jiji," the orphan thanked, acknowledging the man's efforts with a nod of gratitude before taking up his chopsticks and picking the first strand of noodles. Slurping it up under the fond gaze of Tayuya, Naruto then straightened in his seat with a cheer. "Woo… this is great." His exclamation earned a soft giggle from the redhead, which then drew the young orphan's attention to her. "Now, I just need to find a place for you to stay… somewhere people won't get suspicious or ask questions…" Tapping his chin with the end of his chopsticks and craning his head for a moment, the spiky haired child then perked up. "I know!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. Uchiha Massacre Arc - Blood and Family

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Blood and Family_

(A little while later)

"So…?" the elderly man known village-wide as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, began in a calm tone of voice as he carefully scrutinized the young duo standing in front of him; the casually dressed Naruto and the ragged looking Tayuya. "Let me see if I've got this straight. After waking up for an early morning training session in the woods, you decided to head over to the market place to do some grocery shopping. While you were on your way through the main boulevard, you ended up getting sidetracked when you spotted this girl being chased away by Kimura-san from his bakery when she… stole some bread? Is that correct?" the village leader asked while turning his head towards Tayuya, whom he saw stiffen and nod. Once this was confirmed the wise old shinobi continued. "When she left the area she then ended up being cornered by a group of delinquents near the canal bridge, whom you confronted and swiftly beat into submission. After which you took her out to _Ichiraku's_ to get her something to eat, whereupon you then elected to bring her here and ask me if I could find her a place to stay… with you."

Naruto gave a resolute nod, "Yes."

"And that's the whole story?"

"Uh-huh. Every detail," the blond replied with a firm and unwavering tone that matched his current expression. From the way he was dressed in his blue and white jacket, along with the little white fox sitting on his shoulder, the kid looked pretty damn cool.

It was an observation that Tayuya made offhandedly, but one that served to put a warm glow in her cheeks and a small smile on her face.

After staring at the boy for a moment and looking between him and the redhead, Hiruzen breathed a heavy sigh and shook his head. "At least tell me that you didn't send those poor boys to the hospital again…"

"Uhhhhh…" Naruto trailed off for a few seconds as he thought about it, bringing his hands up and weighing them on a metaphorical scale. "Does a couple of bruised egos count as a hospital trip?"

Figuring as much, Hiruzen massaged his nose and chuckled, "What am I ever going to do with you?"

"Hopefully a lot," Naruto replied, at the same time holding a hand out towards the orphan redhead next to him. "Tayuya-chan doesn't have anywhere else to go or anyone to take her in. She isn't even from this village." He then lowered his arm when he saw the village elder glance across at the youngster in question. "It would mean a great deal to me if you could help her out."

This then prompted the elderly leader to bring his hands up and lace his fingers together, upon which he then analyzed the girl more thoroughly. "Being the kind of person that I am, whether they are from our village or from an entirely different one, I couldn't possibly turn away a person in need, especially a child." The Third then glanced back at Konoha's resident troublemaker. "Though I am in charge of approving all forms of paperwork that come through the administration and am permitted to grant citizenships to anyone who asks for them, I am curious as to why you would bring her to me and not to the orphanage. As far as I know they could just as easily take care of her there…"

"Well… because…" the blond began, at the same time staring right back at the village leader and inhaling deeply, "You're one of the only people in this village that I can trust with something like this… and I want to make absolutely sure that Tayuya gets properly looked after."

While his words did help bring a proud look to Hiruzen's eyes, as he could sense the nobility and pure heartedness of the boy firsthand, the elder still couldn't help but be a little curious. "Hmm…" Murmuring and rubbing his chin thoughtfully, the Third once again looked back at Tayuya, whom he saw steel defiantly under his gaze. "One last thing... why exactly do you want to help this girl?"

Caught a little bit by surprise at this inquiry, Naruto looked across at the redhead as well, his eyes meeting hers when she glanced in his direction. "Well… I guess it's because… when I first met her, I saw Tayuya-chan was just like me and in the same place that I was… and the last thing I want is for someone like her to suffer the same pains that I have." What else could he say? Both of them were lonely. Both of them didn't have a family. Both of them didn't have a home. And both of them were hurting in very similar ways. What's more, after interacting with Tayuya for the last hour, he'd really started to like the girl and appreciate her company.

From the soft smile she gave him moments later, it was apparent that the feelings were mutual. This was made even more apparent when Tayuya caught herself blushing and looked away quickly, trying not to appear embarrassed.

Sensing the tender connection between the two, a small smile tugged at the corner of Hiruzen's lips once again. After which a chuckle followed, "Well you certainly have the heart of a good shinobi. There's no arguing that. Though your hobbies I have to say do leave much to be desired." Nodding to the young man, whom he sensed beam back in his direction, Hiruzen then gestured towards Tayuya inquisitively. "May I have a closer look at the flute you're carrying?" When he saw the girl shirk momentarily, the Hokage smiled. "It's okay. I promise I'll give it back."

At first hesitant, after seeing Naruto smile reassuringly at her, Tayuya slowly pulled her instrument from behind and handed it over to the old shinobi. When Hiruzen took it, the two children watched him slowly run his fingers over the length of metal, probing at every hole and curve. After weighing the tool in his hand for a few seconds and analyzing the engraving on the end, they then saw the Hokage blink in surprise.

"What's your family name, if I may ask?"

Appearing confused, Tayuya frowned, "K-Kurosawa."

"Kurosawa?" Hiruzen murmured before holding the flute up to the light, "Now that is interesting."

"Why? What's wrong with her name?" Naruto asked, looking between the village leader and his newfound friend in worry. The last thing he wanted was trouble to befall them from some sort of complication.

The elder's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "A long time ago the Kurasawa Clan was a family of ninja who became part of the komusō; a group of wandering monks who played music for meditative practices called suizen as a method of spiritual healing and attaining enlightenment. One of the primary musical instruments used by this particular sect was the flute," the Hokage explained, at the same time bringing up the instrument between his fingers and showing it to the kids. "The Kurasawa Clan became famed for creating some of the most recognized flute pieces on the continent… and made a reputation for themselves for specializing in sound-based ninjutsu and genjutsu."

"Sound-based?" Naruto murmured.

Hiruzen smiled and pointed towards his ear, "By manipulating chakra through sound waves, the Kurasawa Clan were able to hypnotize and cast illusions upon their enemies, even without the use of hand signs and sealing techniques. They accomplished this through musical theory and notation, where each note dictated a specific direction for chakra to flow. When you arrange the notes into a certain pattern or composition, you are able to perform a technique. This process of performing jutsu through an alternative medium isn't a new concept either. The idea that musical theory could actually manipulate a person's thought processes, nerves and emotions was actually pioneered by a brilliant composer from a far continent named-" He then stopped when he noticed Naruto and Tayuya were staring at him blankly. Realizing that the kids couldn't understand such complex language at such a young age, Hiruzen coughed into his hand and cleared his throat. "In simple terms; members of the Kurasawa Clan use music instead of hand seals to perform ninja techniques."

"Wow. That's so cool," Naruto exclaimed while looking across at the girl in amazement. "You never told me you came from such an awesome ninja clan, Tayuya-chan."

Seeing the boy leaning towards her had the red head blush and glance away momentarily, before responding in a very tsundere manner. "My mum told me a few stories about our family and our ancestors. I just didn't realize how big a deal they actually were until now."

Beaming with enthusiasm, Naruto then turned back to his teacher, "What happened to them? Her clan?"

This question had Hiruzen think for a moment, before he then held the flute back over to Tayuya, which she took. "During the warring periods, the Kurasawa made a living by infiltrating towns, castles and other clan strongholds across the continent using the komusō as cover, where they spied on the people and their leaders, performed assassinations, scouted, and sold secrets to the highest bidders. After the hidden villages were established and the time of the Second Shinobi World War came around, the Kage and the daimyo in some of the neighboring nations became aware of this lone clan's activities. Realizing how badly they could damage the social structure of the world, the Kurasawa Clan were hunted down and destroyed."

"Oh." His mood dropping somewhat at hearing this, Naruto glanced at Tayuya, where he noticed the sad look that appeared on her face. This only seemed to increase the negativity he was now feeling, as the news of this particular group's demise struck a very unpleasant chord. "Then… that means… Tayuya is the last member of her clan." Honestly that was a very depressing outcome.

"Perhaps. But you never know. There will always be more survivors," Hiruzen replied with a warm smile in play. "Like many other groups across the continent, they could've moved to another country, scattered across the mainland, or are simply hiding amongst the communities. Whenever a certain group is hunted down, they do everything they can to protect their history and their bloodline from extinction. Your mother in particular did the same thing and took you as far away as she could so that you could be safe, Tayuya-san." This seemed to put a smile back on the two children's faces, who then began admiring the flute that the redhead was now holding in front of her. Upon which the village leader inhaled and spoke. "As long as you live, your clan will survive."

Naruto then turned back to the village's strongest shinobi with an inquisitive stare, "So… will you be able to help her, Hokage-jiji?"

Hiruzen chuckled, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I said no, especially to one of my youngest villagers." Seeing the blond brighten up along with his female friend, the Hokage then held up a hand to stop them from getting carried away. "But before we take this matter any further and start discussing accommodations, there are a few things we need to have sorted out first."

Tayuya blinked, "Other things? Like what?"

"We first need to put you through a screening process with Inoichi Yamanaka, which should only take about an hour… and then get you tidied up. This is so that we can get all the formal stuff for the citizenship and family documentation out of the way so that we can move on to other arrangements," the Third Hokage responded, at the same time opening up his desk-side drawer and pulling up several sheets of papers and a couple of scrolls. Rolling open the very first one, he then picked up his pen and began writing stuff down. "Now… seeing as how it'll be too dangerous for you to use Kurosawa as your last name, I think a new one would probably be best. How does the name Tayuya Hara sound?"

This immediate action taken by Hiruzen served to bring a sense of positivity back to Naruto and Tayuya.

All the while, Tama, who was still lying comfortably atop Naruto's shoulder, closed her eyes and rested her head on her paws. They obviously had this under control and didn't need her, so now was as good a time as any for a shotgun nap…

OOO

(Later that afternoon)

Hiruzen was quick to get the paperwork on Tayuya's new identity and citizenship out of the way, collecting all of the girl's details while also pulling up all of the records he could find on her family. During which time he also called Inoichi down from the Yamanaka Clan to give the girl's memories a once over, so as to make sure there wasn't anything amiss. As soon as he confirmed that the youngster wasn't compromised in any way, she was then taken off by a female Chunin to have a bath, get herself cleaned up, and outfitted with a new set of clothes.

Understandably Naruto spent the next few minutes during the girl's absence pacing around the Hokage's office, acting impatient and wondering if Tayuya was going to be okay. He was actually so nervous that Hiruzen actually had to step in and calm the boy down himself; telling him to relax and that everything was going to be alright. This was later confirmed when the girl returned moments later, dressed in a new red shirt, jean short-shorts, sandals, and her long red hair all combed out and face washed. Her change was in fact so drastic that Naruto actually found himself gaping at the girl for a full minute before he was snapped out of his reverie when he noticed Tayuya glaring right back at him, waiting expectantly for his comment.

Appearing quite embarrassed at being caught staring, Naruto rubbed his head nervously and beamed back at the girl, at the same time Tama yipped happily. "Y-You look really nice. That woman did a great job."

The delinquent swore he saw Tayuya's face light up momentarily, before she quickly returned to her previous attempts at a stubborn demeanor. "Th-Thanks."

The entire interaction in the office had Hiruzen laughing inwardly, who then went about the process of finalizing the girl's documents. Once her photos had been taken and added to her files, the old shinobi then moved on to their next order of business, which was finding a place for Naruto and Tayuya to live. This was mostly at the behest of the blond himself, who said he wanted to move into his own home as quickly as possible so that he could get out of the orphanage's hair and stop being a bother to everyone. While the Hokage was initially reluctant, encouraging the child to keep making headways in that area, the youngster was insistent.

Eventually after looking through several files of available places in the area of Naruto's specifications, and then going through the process of having the youngster taken off of the orphanage's dorm registry, the Hokage then cancelled his next hour of appointments to take the children down to their flat.

A quick walk across town and the trio soon found themselves climbing the stairs of a two story apartment building on the eastern side of the village. As it turns out, the place that Hiruzen was able to locate for the children was a six-tatami mat apartment with white walls and ceiling, a large window across the room from the front door, a kitchen and sink area on the entrance side, and a bathroom and toilet facility beside the main closet on the far right corner. The flat pretty much consisted of these two rooms, meaning that the main room was incredibly spacious and ideal for at least four people living frugally. It was simple, elegant, traditional, but more importantly it was affordable.

As Naruto and Tayuya walked about the room, taking in the freshly painted walls and the soft feel of the floor, Hiruzen stood at the entrance in his signature Kage don and his hands behind his back. "Well… what do you think?"

Knowing this question was directed towards him, the excited Naruto turned around and smiled, "It's perfect." Tama, having woken up on the journey over here, barked happily from the boy's shoulder.

"I know it doesn't seem like much, but this apartment meets all of the conditions that you specified in your initial application form. Not only does it prioritize utility over hospitality, the building itself is stationed in a very peaceful area of the village; close to the eastern reserves and farmlands, while also giving you a great view of Konoha's center and downtown. It is also near a market area and several local convenient stores, so you don't have to go far to do your grocery shopping," Hiruzen informed, turning his gaze towards the window where he could see the Hokage Monument staring right back at them. It was a sight that also caught Naruto and Tayuya's attention. "This apartment also comes with a free laundry facility, as well as its own garden and hot spring, both of which are permitted for use by the residents. And since this apartment is owned by a close friend of mine, the two of you will be well looked after."

"That's good," Naruto said, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked around again, before once more turning towards the Hokage. "How many people live in this building?"

Hiruzen thought about it for a moment, "A couple. One of them is a manager at a restaurant living just a few doors down, while the other one is living on the ground floor-"

"That would be me."

Turning towards the entrance when they heard the newcomer's voice, Hiruzen, Naruto and Tayuya spotted a purple haired young woman in her early twenties, with her hair done up into a high ponytail, wearing a brown trench coat over fishnet armor that hugged at her ample cleavage, a battle skirt, shin guards, and the _Konoha_ headband over her forehead. She also had a toothpick sticking out between her lips, which she rolled around when she saw the trio glance in her direction, before leaning against the door frame comfortably.

"Knock-knock. I heard from Megumi-chan that I was getting a new neighbor today, so I decided to come up here and check them out," the kunoichi said while looking across at the two children. "And it looks like I've got a couple of cuties moving in."

While Tayuya tilted her head at the odd-woman, Hiruzen merely smiled at her in greeting. "Ah, Anko. Perfect timing." The Hokage then turned back to Naruto and gestured to the person at the door, who waved cheerfully in their direction. "This is Mitarashi Anko; your downstairs neighbor and captain in the ANBU forces. If the apartment manager isn't around and you need some help with something, just go down and ask her."

Anko then winked at the pair of youngsters, "I know this place like the back of my hand… so if you two ever find yourselves lost, don't hesitate to give me a buzz."

Naruto smiled back at the woman and nodded. "Sure. No problem." He then bowed to her politely, with Tayuya mimicking his actions. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"You too," the Tokubetsu Jonin responded enthusiastically, before taking her toothpick out and standing off the door frame. "I'm down in apartment 1B. If I'm not in, well… I'm probably out on a mission or up in the administration building." She then gave one last salute and disappeared down the hallway, "Welcome and hope you guys enjoy your stay."

After seeing the woman leave, Hiruzen turned his attention back to the children, who he could see were both smiling at one another. "Everyone in this building is friendly and hospitable… so feel free to ask any of the residents for assistance if needed."

"We'll keep that in mind," Naruto said, before then turning to his friend. "So… what say you, Tayuya? Do you think this place is good?"

Taking one last look around the unit, giving both the sleeping-space and their location another thought, the red-headed flute user beamed and nodded to the blond eagerly. "Let's take it."

Grin forming on his face, the blond looked back at Hiruzen and gave him his answer. "You heard her."

Obviously pleased to hear this, Hiruzen then pulled out a folded up sheet of paper and an envelope, and handed both items to the child. "This is the document sighting that you live in this apartment. There's a copy of it up in the administration office, but be sure to keep this safe with you in this room." When the child took it, the village elder then pulled out two sets of keys and dropped them into his hand. "These are yours as well. Just to let you know, since you currently don't have a job, the village will be paying for your rent and providing you with an allowance to get by every week, starting from today… so make sure to use your funds wisely. This contract will continue up until the day you become a Chunin, by which time your weekly payments will be cancelled and you'll have to pay for your own rent and living expenses. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Naruto nodded.

"If you have any other questions, just come by and see me up in the office, okay?" Hiruzen informed, at the same time giving the young delinquent a smile. "I understand it can be tough moving into your own place for the first time, especially for someone of your age. So if you ever find yourself in any trouble-"

"Don't worry, jiji. I'm sure we'll be fine," the whisker-marked youngster chirped, with Tama also giving a happy bark from where she was perched on his shoulder.

Upon hearing the certainty in the child's words, Hiruzen then nodded and turned back to the entrance. "I'll leave you two to settle in then. Once you've got everything sorted, Tayuya can come by my office to see me about what kind of schools she's interested in attending." When he saw both kids nod in understanding, the elder smiled. "Good luck." The old man then stepped out, giving the pair a parting wave before vanishing around the corner and down the stairs.

Listening to the elderly shinobi's footsteps disappear into the distance, Naruto and Tayuya then took a moment to soak in everything that'd just happened in the last few hours. While Tama hopped off of her blonde friend's shoulder to have a look about, the two children then approached one another, with the spiky haired delinquent handing one of the keys over to his new roommate.

Upon popping it into Tayuya's hand, the kid then looked at the envelope the Hokage had also given him, which he could see was carrying their first allowance of their first week as independents.

With their freedom established, the now jazzed-up Naruto smiled confidently at his newfound companion. "So… shopping?"

XXX

(Over the next few days)

For the two new apartment owners, adjusting to their living accommodations was a simple enough procedure. The challenge was actually getting all of the things they needed for it. Since the Hokage and the manager of the complex had explained to them in detail all the materials and services available to them, it was working out everything else that was the biggest challenge.

After doing a quick sweep of the small apartment, they quickly worked out the first lot of things that they needed. Since Naruto already had a bunch of clothes he'd collected from the orphanage over the years, he also had to get some for Tayuya. To save money on the items they planned on purchasing, they managed to get most of her stuff second hand or from the hundred ryo store around the corner. Once their first wave of accessories had been bought, Naruto also made sure to go out to the local department store to buy two futons, pillows, a couple changes of sheets, and a fridge. Considering summer was right on their doorstep, they needed something to put their food in and keep fresh over the long hot days, so a cooling box was definitely a must.

This then turned out to be their second agenda for the evening; actually buying food to cook and eat. Naruto was able to save money by purchasing two-minute ramen noodles to stock their cupboards, but he also bought fresh ingredients to add to them, including salads, fruits and rice.

Now while Naruto initially believed they could've saved more money on installments, after a quick trip to the bank he and his roommate discovered that it cost a little bit more for a loan. So, with that in mind, the two of them elected to just pay for everything up front and tough it out till next week's payment. That meant they were relying on pocket change to get by till next Tuesday. Until then, Naruto figured he could get a job as a farmhand so that they could earn themselves some extra money to live off of and spend.

Tilling the land could also prove to be an interesting training exercise for the delinquent, which was something he also kept in mind while deciding on a place to go for work. If he was lucky, maybe he could get part time employment from those farmers who he helped out a few days back.

Anyway, once they'd sorted out all their needs and wants, and purchased all the essential items they required, they then went about making all the changes necessary to their time tables to accommodate for their new circumstances, while at the same time figuring out what Tayuya wanted to do with her life now that she had a place to live and a future ahead of her.

It was obviously a big decision for the young girl to make, seeing as how for the last couple of months she'd been wandering the wastelands, with no hope and nobody around to help her. However, in the span of only one day, not only had her life taken a surprising turn for the better, it had also directed her down a path full of potential and possibilities. And she only had one person to thank for that…

This was a fact that she made certain to acknowledge on their very first night together.

OOO

After a long day of shopping and a celebratory dinner, the pair then turned in for the night in their newly purchased futons. For the blond haired orphan and street fighter it was an easy process, since he was already used to falling asleep in odd and unexpected places, particularly after losing consciousness during several of his training sessions out in the woods. Plus he also had his orphanage dormitory to thank for acclimatizing him to the sleeping-arrangement business.

He also had Tama sleeping on a pillow alongside his futon, as the little white fox had proven on multiple occasions to be able to drop wherever she wanted.

For Tayuya however it was a little more difficult. Seeing as how she was staying in a cozy, warm apartment and not some cold, dark alleyway or forest in a random town, it was taking her a bit of effort to adjust to the fact that she was now surrounded by four walls, a warm blanket and newly purchased clothing, courtesy of the people she'd fallen in line with. Needless to say, for someone who'd spent quite a lot of time living out on the road, this was a very odd situation.

The young redhead spent most of the next hour of the night staring up at the ceiling and the newly bought clothes she had lying beside her bed, upon which she'd also rested her flute. She tossed and turned for what felt like forever, her mind and body coming to terms with her new situation and everything that'd happened to her over the course of the day.

Ever since her mother had passed, she'd been alone and wandering around for weeks, moving from place to place and hoping for something or someone to take her in. But at every point and every stop she happened upon she was turned away, and the people ignored her. For a while Tayuya thought she would be doomed to wander the world on her own like this, helpless and lost, knowing that everything in it would be against her.

But then she met Naruto; someone who came to her aid when she needed it most and pulled her out of her cold, lonely place, and back into the light. He gave her food, showed her kindness, and went out of his way to find her a place to stay. Though the period had been a long and turbulent one, filled with question, intrigue and new surroundings, he had been there with her every step of the way, making her feel like she was the most important person in the world to him.

That was more than what any other person has done for her in a long time and Tayuya was moved by it.

When the little flute player turned in her bed and her eyes landed on Naruto, she saw the blond was lying there with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. Blinking as she watched his chest move up and down with every breath he took, the child with dark pink hair then allowed a fond smile to appear on her lips and a warmth flood through her body.

In that moment she made a decision and, taking it, Tayuya quietly shuffled across her futon onto Naruto's, and moved under the covers of his blanket to lie next to him.

Apparently her actions didn't go unnoticed, as the second she crawled onto the boy's futon the blond orphan's eyes opened. Looking to his left, Naruto blinked in surprise when he saw Tayuya lying right next to him, her hazel irises open and fixated upon him. For a moment he didn't say a thing and simply stared at the girl, wondering what it was she wanted. But when he felt her wrap an arm around him and pull her cheek into his shoulder, Naruto quickly realized what was going on and beamed.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Tayuya whispered.

Chest swelling at her words, the blond nodded, "You're welcome, Tayuya-chan."

Moments after closing their eyes, the pair fell asleep. When they did the pair completely missed the sight of Naruto's round orange pendant, which he had hanging around his neck, light up a bright warm orange. It was an event that was noticed by the dozing Tama, whose head perked up sharply and eyes fixed on the little jewel. After seeing the glow of the crystal dissipate seconds later, the curious white fox huffed and went back to sleep.

XXX

(The next weekend)

After another full day of training, organizing and general activity, Naruto and Tayuya had decided to spend their last remaining hours of the evening at a theatre to see a movie. Since there wasn't really much on, except for the _Wind Demon_ movie based on the legend of Fuma Kotaro, they elected to sit through that… and boy was it a lot of fun. Considering it was a story about a shinobi that was active until only a few years ago, it was a pretty entertaining spin on historical events. But when that was over and the two youngsters were let back out onto the streets, they then went out to grab something to eat.

Since they'd already had their fill on takeout for the week, they decided to grab some stuff to make stew at home, using the cookbooks Naruto had borrowed from the library as a guide. So after grabbing all of the ingredients they needed, the duo then started to make their way home.

As evening started pulling into night, the two roommates made their way up the main road of central Konoha, both carrying a bag of shopping each and engaged in a pleasant chat.

"She's really made your shoulders her own personal space, hasn't she?" Tayuya giggled as she looked across at Naruto to see his white fox friend perched on his left side. "Has Tama always been like that?"

"Ever since I met her," Naruto chuckled back, at the same time reaching up to rub the vixen on the chin. "I read about her diet from a book I found in the library about how to take care of foxes, but this one has no problems with eating anything she can get her hands on. She especially loves the kaya buns and the pork and vegetable stir fry I buy for her. She even likes the potato curry that I make." He then looked ahead of him again with an amused grin. "Even though she's a fox, she sure does act a lot like a human."

"Hmm…" Tayuya murmured while craning her head up thoughtfully. "Maybe we should try making that tomorrow. I've always wanted to have a go at cooking stir fry ever since I saw mum make it about a year ago."

"Cool. That means we'll be able to have two main dishes we can eat for dinner over four days," Naruto chirped as he continued ambling along with his bag of shopping slung over his right shoulder. It was while he was strolling along he then glanced across at the redhead next to him. "By the way, have you decided on what kind of school you would like to go to and what you'd like to do in the future?"

Tayuya's smile disappeared and became replaced by a troubled frown, "I'm not sure. I mean… a part of me would like to go to a normal place and get a good education… maybe become a musician or a composer or something one day. But… another part of me wants to do something different… like become a strong ninja… with you." She said that last part under her breath while her cheeks turned beet red and a warm smile subtly spread across her lips.

"Huh? What was that?" Naruto asked, not quite catching her last admission.

Quickly shaking her head, the flute player looked away hastily, "N-Nothing. Nothing. Don't worry about it." She then took a deep breath to compose herself. "They're just a couple of things I'm thinking about at the moment."

"Well… try not to think about it for too long. You need to decide on something soon, otherwise you're going to miss out on a lot of important stuff," Naruto informed coolly, before then letting out a chuckle as he hefted his shopping bag a little higher up his shoulder. "Becoming a kunoichi can actually be really good for you. I mean, when you think about it, there are actually a lot of things you can-OOF!" He was promptly cut off when he suddenly bumped into someone walking out of a nearby convenience store. The act of which drew a yelp from the victim and caused them to drop their grocery bags, while at the same time sending the tackler lurching back a little from the sudden loss of momentum.

"Ah. Oh no," the young woman that was hit gasped, at the same time kneeling down and frantically beginning to pick up her dropped items, which had scattered all over the road. "I'm such a klutz…"

"I-I'm really sorry about that," Naruto apologized, putting his own bag down so that he could bend down and help the stranger pick up her stuff. Tama had also leapt off of his shoulder to make the job easier for him, and was now watching the pair from the sidelines. "My bad. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's okay. It's okay. Neither was I," the woman replied, at the same time reloading her goods. Once the bags had been filled and put back in order, the two people involved in the literal run in looked at one another. "Oh. Hello there."

Naruto blinked as he found himself staring up at a young teenager about fourteen or fifteen years old; a girl with long brown hair that grew down her back, wearing a Konoha headband, a purple top, black shorts, sandals, and the accessories of an active shinobi. It was also worth noting she had the Uchiha Clan symbol on the side of her shorts; an insignia that did not go amiss by the sharp-eyed blond as he stood back up, with Tama hopping back onto his shoulder at the same time.

"H-Hey," the eight year old replied uncertainly. He then perked up when he quickly remembered what'd just happened and bowed. "I apologize for walking into you like that. I swear I didn't mean to do that."

The girl chuckled back and nodded to him curtly, "That's okay. There's no need to panic. Nothing was broken or anything, so no harm done-whoa." She then had to balance her grocery bags on one knee when one threatened to fall out of her arm. A steady breath of relief then left her lips, "Woo… that was close."

Naruto and Tayuya quickly noticed the actual load of half a dozen paper bags she was hauling and immediately became concerned.

"That's a lot of shopping you're carrying," the blond observed.

"Do you need some help?" the redhead asked immediately afterwards, at the same time both kids approached. From the way she was balancing so many bags precariously on one leg and both her arms, it definitely looked like she was having a rough time. "Here. We can take those."

When Naruto moved and took two of the bags from her left while Tayuya grabbed the others off her right, the brown haired Uchiha beamed gratefully. "Th-Thank you so much. You guys are too kind." Now able to hold the two remaining bags with ease, she then looked down to see that the pair of children had their hands full, yet both of them were looking as if this wasn't bothering them at all. "I really hate to trouble you two with this, but… do you think you could help me carry all these things back to my apartment? It's not that far. It's just over on the edge of the _Uchiha Clan District_ on the west side."

"Sure. No problem," Naruto replied through the sticks of celery and bok choy in his face. "We've got nothing else to do… plus I've never been around that part of the village before, so this could be a really cool first time for us." His comment earned a happy bark from Tama as the fox looked across at the dark haired girl.

Beaming cheerfully at this point, the young Uchiha Chunin nodded affirmatively. "Thanks. I'll be sure to pay you guys back for this." As she was about to head off, the teen then smiled down at the two children. "By the way, my name is Izumi."

"I'm Naruto," the blond replied, at the same time hefting a bag in his companions' directions. "The fox on my shoulder is Tama… and my friend over here is Tayuya."

The flute user smiled and bowed her head, "Nice to meet you."

With pleasantries made, the group then began heading down the road in the direction of the illustrious _Uchiha Clan District_. Though over the last couple of years Naruto had had plenty of time to explore the many districts of the village of _Konohagakure_ , he never really explored the home turf of one of the town's founding families. Whether it was because of some kind of bad vibe or that he never really got the chance to walk around their area he wasn't too sure, but all he knew was that the family name was pretty damn big in the world. So for a group that was this famous, their part of the village had to be impressive.

Sure enough, when Izumi, Naruto and Tayuya happened upon the entrance to the neighborhood they were heading towards, a large archway with the clan's family crest and namesake emblazoned upon it, the blond immediately noticed that their reputation wasn't just for show.

Their area was really huge.

"I really appreciate you guys following me out this far," Izumi spoke up suddenly while glancing across at the two kids walking alongside her. "Seriously. You two are awesome for helping me out."

"No problem. It was the least we could do," Tayuya said with a smile.

After analyzing the bags he was carrying, Naruto then glanced over at the young girl with an odd look in play. "By the way, why did you need to get so much shopping anyway? Don't you have any food at home?"

It was this question that drew a sheepish laugh from Izumi and had the girl scratch her cheek. "I ended up going on a three week long mission outside of the country. When I got back, all of the food that I had left in my cupboards and fridge went bad. So I had to go out to buy everything again."

This information then had Naruto glance across at his roommate. "It's a good thing most of our stuff is long-lived, otherwise we would be having a lot of problems."

Tayuya smirked back at him, "Guess your instant ramen does come in useful after all."

"Hey. Ramen is a great meal when you can't think of anything else to have on a long day… plus it's delicious," the blond replied, at the same time grinning ahead of him proudly as they continued to walk along. "For a street fighter and a shinobi-in-training, a bowl of instant ramen is his lifeblood. It's the fuel that sustains him through all of his training and battles, and gives him the extra motivation he needs to move forward…"

His incredibly confident remarks had Tayuya snicker to herself, "It also makes your skin feel greasy in the morning." As the trio continued walking across the edge of the district, Tayuya quickly noticed that most of the shops and restaurants around them were closed, and that there weren't any lights on in the area either. Guessing that it was probably getting late and that most of the businesses weren't open this late on a weekend, the redhead then glanced across at her roommate inquisitively. "Are the people from the Uchiha clan nice? I've heard their name quite a lot when I was traveling between the villages."

Before Naruto could answer, Izumi craned her head around and smiled at the flute player, "We've had our ups and downs and our share of hardships over the years. But the Uchiha are generally really nice people. Though I admit most of the stronger ones from the main branches can come off as quite standoffish and cold, it's mostly because we've had a bit of a rough history with many of the clans we've come across."

"Well… you seem like a really nice person, so it's gotta be true," Naruto remarked, which caused Izumi to beam brightly. "I've met a couple of Uchiha over the years. Though I never really talked with any of them, they didn't seem all that bad to me." The only one he did have a problem with though was that one boy whose gang he fought with a couple of months back. That guy was a dick.

But then again, so were the other delinquents he'd fought with over the years.

To be honest, Naruto didn't really know much about the Uchiha or their rituals, and though he didn't have any genuine problems with the group or expressed any ill will towards them, they still gave him as wide a berth as everybody else in the village. The only one who didn't seem to mind him being around was Sasuke, mostly because he didn't really talk to the kid that often.

"I heard that the Uchiha were also supposed to be ridiculously strong," Tayuya spoke up, at the same time glancing up at Izumi. "Like… the strongest group from _Konoha_. Why is that?"

Naruto smiled and, turning around so that he was walking backwards, faced Tayuya with a smile. "The Uchiha are one of the most famous clans on the continent, second only to the Senju. I've been reading up about them in the school library so that if I ran into any more of them out on the streets… or any other clan members, I'll know who I'm facing and how to deal with them." He then pointed up at his eyes when he said his next piece. "The Uchiha have this kekkei genkai that appears in some of their members called the Sharingan. It's this really cool red eye with a pinwheel pattern that increases their fighting abilities and allows them to do a bunch of stuff, like copy jutsu, increase their reflexes, see chakra, and hypnotize and trap people in illusions."

This earned an intrigued blink from Tayuya, who then narrowed her gaze oddly, "That's kind of a cheat, isn't it?" Her question had Izumi let out a quick laugh, whereas Naruto simply grinned.

"Yeah. I guess it is. But hey, since it's part of their genetics I'm totally fine with it. Even if it does give them a bit of an unfair advantage," Naruto said while turning back around, taking Tama for a bit of spin. "The trick when you're fighting an Uchiha with a Sharingan is to avoid looking them directly in the eye. Try not to look into reflections either, because they can use puddles and the pupils of other animals to reflect their Sharingan and hit you with a genjutsu."

"Alright? So pretty much don't look at _anything_ ," Tayuya said in a humorless tone of voice, though in a lighthearted manner.

"Pretty much," Naruto replied with a stiff nod, "Annoying isn't it?"

"Yeah," the redhead chuckled before smirking at the boy, "I'm guessing it would be a bit of a long shot to ask for a handicap against them?"

"That all depends on who your opponent is. But I wouldn't really count on it-huh?" Naruto was then cutoff when he suddenly noticed that Izumi had stopped walking, which prompted the two kids to also halt their momentum. Looking at the young teenager in confusion, the blond with the white vixen on his shoulder blinked. "Hey. What's going on? Why'd you stop all of a sudden?"

"Shh," Izumi hushed, holding her hand up to cut the children's chatter. Noticing her serious reaction and the expression she was currently wearing, both Naruto and Tayuya wisely kept silent and, standing perfectly still, waited for the girl to say something. Lowering her arm, the kunoichi then whispered in an uneasy voice, "Something's wrong."

It was then the two kids standing next to her began looking around. As their eyes panned over the various buildings on either side of the road and the stalls covered in tarp and canvas, they quickly noticed what was up and stepped closer to each other. Practically standing back to back, the blond orphan and his red haired companion then glared at their surroundings.

"There's no one here," Naruto whispered.

"And it's quiet… _too_ quiet," Tayuya murmured, trying her best to use her ears to pick up any sounds from the surrounding inns and cafes. But she came up with nothing. "What the hell? Where the heck is everyone?"

Naruto quickly glanced up at Izumi. "Isn't this area normally supposed to have a lot of people in it?" Even if most of the shops were closed, there should've at least been one or two of them open, and a few people walking around. "What gives?"

"I don't know," Izumi replied, narrowing her eyes which suddenly turned bright red as three black tomoe appeared around each pupil. Realizing she'd just activated her Sharingan, Naruto watched the girl scan the area in front of her and begin checking the corridors and structures for chakra signatures. "Damn. I don't like this."

All of a sudden the trio became aware of a low growling sound emanating off of Tama, which quickly drew their attention to the little white fox perched on Naruto's shoulder. The moment they focused their attention on her, they saw that the snow vixen was glaring across the street towards another road, which branched off of the main highway towards another part of the neighborhood. Noticing how agitated she was by the way her tail was up, her hair was standing on end and her fangs were bared, the three children immediately knew that something was setting her off.

"Tama-chan? Wha…" Before Naruto could finish asking his friend what was going on, he suddenly saw her spring off of his shoulder and dash down the road, which caused the blond to sprint after her for a few seconds. "Hey! Wait! Where are you going, girl?" He then stopped when he saw the white fox vanish down the street and around the corner.

Watching her friend's arm drop in defeat, as the fox was now completely out of sight, Tayuya clenched her fists and looked around warily. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

XXX

(Fifteen minutes later)

Over in the Leaf Police Station on the edge of the Uchiha Clan's district, the smell of blood and death was present in the air, as was the sense of hopelessness. What had started off as a typical evening shift for the clan forces inside the facility's main building had suddenly transformed into a midnight horror show when, from out of nowhere, a mysterious figure with long black spiky hair, wearing an orange mask with a single eyehole and black flame patterns on it, a long black coat, pants, grey obi, and armed with a katana, suddenly stormed the institute's lobby and began slaughtering everyone in sight.

The sounds of battle and screams of terror were effectively snuffed out by the swiftness of the attack, as men and women from all departments were called in to try and kill the invader. However, as the forces quickly discovered, every single one of their attacks was effectively thwarted, as all the kunai and shuriken they threw at the man simply went straight through him, as if he were some kind of phantom. Hell, even physical blows from fists, swords and jutsu didn't have any effect on him.

Not that any of them even managed to get to that stage, as the masked assailant moved so fast he was able to cut down every single wave of aggressors with the least bit of effort. All he did was let their first attacks pass through him before slashing down the one who snuck up on him with his sword. Those who tried to get away he either pursued or caught with the kusari chain he had concealed under his sleeve, snaring them, snapping their necks or impaling them with his sword.

No matter which way he did it, whether with a blade or with his bare hands, every single one of his targets met a gruesome and bloody end.

By the time all the men and women on the first floor had been killed, he'd left a trail of blood and bodies strewn all about the place. There wasn't a single panel that didn't have some kind of organ stain on it. It was almost like the entire massacre was being spearheaded by a demon from another world… or a wild animal. There was no grace, form or care behind this attack at all; only anger and rage.

Flicking the blood from his sword after taking down another group of Uchiha males that attempted to corner him on the second floor, the masked assassin then turned his attention to another part of the level. Across the balcony and towards the guard rail overlooking the foyer, the man spotted another squad of two shinobi and one kunoichi standing there and at the ready. Even though all three of them had Sharingan and bore the ranks of elite Jonin, none of that did anything to conceal their senses of fear and dread.

Panicking at the sight of the masked invader turning to them, the male Uchiha with dark brown hair standing ahead of his two comrades then reached behind him and threw a barrage of shuriken at his target, only to watch them pass through the masked assassin like he was smoke. Seeing and hearing his weapons impact the wall on the other side had the high-ranking shinobi's eyes widen in disbelief.

"N-None of our attacks are working! What the hell is he?!" the Jonin Uchiha managed to choke out before suddenly seeing the figure in front of them vanish and reappear directly in front of him in a blur. Unable to react in time, the officer was violently struck down by the assassin's sword carving across his neck and chest, dropping him to the floorboards in a bloody spray.

Freaking out at seeing their squad leader dispatched, the two remaining ninja in the building backed away when the masked assassin focused his attention on them. Seeing how he was able to so handily deal with the rest of their comrades, it seemed like they were about to meet the same grisly end.

But just before the genocidal monster could make a move on the two petrified Jonin, a shadowy blur suddenly flickered out of nowhere, a split second before a dull crack of impact echoed throughout the police station.

The two Jonin could only watch in shock when a tiny white fox suddenly darted past them and blindsided their attacker with a powerful head butt to the side of his face. The little animal's blow landed with such force it completely shattered the side of the man's mask and sent him flying head-first into the distant wall on the other side of the balcony. The attack had also caused him to lose his primary weapon, which clattered to the ground amidst the damage already done to the vicinity.

As the concrete and plaster collapsing around the assassin's crash zone filled the air with dust and debris, the spry little creature dropped down to the ground in a defensive position, limbs spread firmly apart while her fluffy tail stood upwards. A few seconds later the little fox turned and barked at the two Uchiha standing by the second floor balcony.

Figuring that the tiny vixen was telling them to 'get the hell out of there', the pair of Jonin then bolted through their respective _Shunshins_. After seeing the shinobi and kunoichi leave, Tama then had her attention snap back to the cloud of smoke now settling around the hole she'd made in the station wall.

The rubble and timber being unceremoniously shoved off of him, the man in the mask rose up from the ground like a zombie and fixed both his exposed eyes upon his unexpected attacker. Though the lower portion of his mask remained intact, the top half of his face was completely exposed, revealing a half-scarred face and sharp, blood-red eyes with black tomoe spinning around both pupils.

It was clear from the appearance of his eyes which clan he originated from.

A low grumble of annoyance left the mysterious man's lips as he rubbed the side of his head to stop the ringing in his ears, "Ugh… what the hell was that?" When his gaze finally landed on the little white animal standing in the light of the foyer window by the stairs, the masked man blinked in disbelief. "Wait… seriously?"

Tama responded by lowering herself into a pouncing position and giving a low growl to the foul creature she could sense standing in front of her.

Once his brain registered to the fact that he'd just been ambushed by a tiny fox, the partially unmasked assassin grunted and dusted off the front of his coat. "Hmph… well isn't this turning out to be a strange night. First I'm massacring an entire building full of shinobi and the next thing I know I'm being ambushed by a tiny white fox. How adorable." He then lowered his arm and flicked his wrist, swiftly producing three shuriken between his fingers. "No matter. I'll deal with you just as easily as I dealt with the rest of this trash. Afterwards I'll hunt down the rest of the Uchiha defense force and finish them off." He then cocked his arm back and pitched his blades forward, sending the three black stars arcing through the air at speed. "Good riddance."

However, much to his surprise, he suddenly saw the white fox vanish in a blur, watching as his three shuriken impaled the floor.

The sight had the man recoil in surprise, "Huh? What the-OOF!" He was effectively stopped short by all the air in his lungs saying 'fuck it' and leaving his mouth all at once, as Tama reappeared directly in front of him burying a double-kick right into his solar plexus. The blow also knocked the man off his feet and sent him skidding down the corridor, where he recovered several yards later amidst a cloud of dust, gripping his chest and leaning forward in shock. "W-Where… how did…?"

The assassin was completely stumped. The little vixen moved so fast that even with his Sharingan he'd completely lost track of her. What's more the power she'd hit him with was unlike anything he'd encountered before in such a small animal. It actually felt like she'd cracked a couple of his ribs.

Glancing up through a pained expression to see Tama glaring at him from her spot in the corridor, the man growled and rushed forward. Deciding to put an end to this, the unknown assassin drew a kunai and threw it at the animal, forcing the white fox to leap over it and attack. He then struck out with his hand in attempt to catch her, only to see the vixen spin at him with her tail.

Just when it seemed like she was about to hit the masked man right in the eyes, Tama's tail- along with the rest of her body- suddenly passed right through the assassin. Blinking in surprise, the fox quickly darted down to the floor the moment she exited the other side of the human and spun around, only to see the man's foot flying at her in a lightning fast kick.

The man struck the fox, catching her full in the body on the top of his sandal and sending her flying towards the wall. But Tama, having anticipated the blow, jumped in the direction the kick was traveling, reducing the force of its impact as she was thrown across the hall by the attack's momentum. Landing against the wall on all fours like a spider, she then leapt off of it and dove to the ground, where she then glared up at the assassin in alarm and confusion.

Forming a hand seal, the masked man then took aim with his Sharingan. "Got you," the assassin stated, a split second before some sort of void in space activated directly over his right eye and began to suck his tiny target into it like water down a drain.

Considering her size and stature, he could easily absorb her at this distance without having to make physical contact with her. He just wanted to get rid of the nuisance as quickly as possible and get back to his massacre.

Feeling her body start to get pulled into the hole at light-speed by the sudden distortion in gravity and space, the surprised Tama frowned when she felt her tiny form start breaking down as it was gradually sucked into the celestial anomaly. But then, just when it seemed like Tama was about to get sucked into the alternate dimension the man was transporting her to, a blue flame suddenly appeared at the end of her long, fluffy tail. At the same time the fox's body suddenly shimmered with an invisible, heatwave like aura and, with a loud 'thump', all four of her feet became fixed to the floor.

Almost like several thousand tons of weight had been added to her mass, her body, vibrating intensely from the invisible chakra that was now surrounding her, glued her entire frame to the building's surface and to the dimensional space, preventing the assassin's technique from pulling her in.

Shutting down his void when he realized she wasn't moving, the assassin's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" In that moment Tama sprang off of the ground, spun at the humanoid fiend, and threw an arcing paw strike at him. The assassin blocked the animal's punch out of instinct, only to feel his arm and the floor beneath him rattle from the force of the hit, before he then blocked a kick from her that sent him skidding several meters across the floorboards. When he stopped just short of the wall, the unknown attacker threw a shocked look at his puny foe. "Impossible. She was able to resist my _Kamui_?"

How? How was this tiny, seemingly unimpressive and insignificant creature from the wild, able to resist a technique that was capable of displacing a full grown man or slab of matter in a span of only two milliseconds? It made no sense!

Out of all the creatures he'd faced in his life, this little fox was quickly proving to be the most troublesome obstacle he'd ever run into. Forget giant summoning animals, jutsu, shinobi, manmade weapons, or even tailed beasts for that matter. This tiny snow mammal was actually dealing him some damage and making him sweat. Despite her small size and stature, this vixen's attacks were precise and heavy, almost to the point of being unpredictable. It was almost like he was fighting against a several hundred kilogram beast compressed into the body the size of a household cat. This not only made it harder to hit her, but it also came as a big surprise when she hit back and forced him to hold his ground.

It soon dawned on the assassin that the creature he was fighting against was no ordinary fox. This much was obvious from the bright blue flame flickering at the end of her tail and lighting up the corridor.

Watching the little animal still glaring at him cautiously, the masked assassin frowned and attempted to hit her with a genjutsu. If he was going to get anywhere in this fight and kill this little beast, then he was going to have to start pulling out all the stops. But when he saw his optical based technique hit the vixen and watched the animal simply shake it off, he then quickly glanced towards the sword he had dropped in the middle of the hallway.

" _Forget this. I'm finishing this right now."_ It didn't matter how strong or skilled this fox was. He was _not_ going to be humiliated by this little pest any longer.

So, slapping his hands together, he quickly flew through a series of seals and finger frames before sharply sucking in air. _ **"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) The instant his cheeks puffed out, the half-masked assassin then exhaled a massive ball of orange flames, which filled the entire hall and rocketed towards the little fox's position, melting and scorching everything in its path.

Reacting instinctively, the tiny animal swung her tail around, bringing the blue flame at the end with her and whipping it out with a loud and powerful bark. The act of which suddenly caused a fiery blue shockwave to ripple outwards, striking the fireball, stopping it in its tracks and setting it off.

The resulting explosion was catastrophic; a tidal wave of orange flames engulfing the entire second floor of the Uchiha Police Force headquarters and blowing it to kingdom come. As the roof was incinerated by the red hot blast, a black mushroom cloud of smoke and fire was sent rocketing into the sky, which sent rubble and debris pelting all across the neighborhood. Not only were the nearby gardens and reserves bombarded by slabs of stone and wood, but so were the houses and surrounding structures, as multiple rooves and walls were caved in by the ensuing cataclysm.

When the smoke finished belching into the air several seconds later and the flames around the remains of the exposed second floor dissipated, it revealed an unscathed Tama standing in the middle of the decimated structure looking around her with a fierce expression on her face. Noticing that her target had vanished, she quickly began scanning the building for his presence.

This seemed to come too little too late when the cloud of smoke hanging behind her suddenly parted and the masked assassin came flying at her with his sword. With a yell and a swing, the unfeeling assailant swung down at the fox to cut her in half, only to watch the vixen vanish in a white flicker and reappear sliding to a stop several yards away.

Standing up from his missed strike, the assassin grunted and watched the fox glare angrily at him. "You're a fast little one."

Frowning deeply as she glared down the figure with the sword, Tama at first didn't say or do anything. However, after several moments of silence, the flame on the back of the vixen's tail suddenly intensified and her body started to shake violently.

The assassin balked a little, not really knowing what was happening until he suddenly saw the little fox start to grow in size. Getting bigger and bigger at a rapidly alarming pace, the tiny fox soon grew to the size of a horse, moments before three more tails sprouted from her pelvis and waved behind her aggressively, each one carrying a ball of blue fire at the end. What's more, to accompany the startling transformation, her expression had become a lot more feral and her muscles had also become more defined.

Needless to say the sight of the transformed fox intimidated the assassin somewhat, who then took a cautious step back. "Whoa… okay… this is new." After watching the now much larger animal snarling at him, he then suddenly saw one of its tails arc over and whip out at him, extending towards his position at an insane speed, while the blue flame on the end left a trail of fire in its wake. The sight of the incoming attack had the unknown assassin smirk under the remains of his mask. _"Hmph. No problem. I'll just let this pass through me like everything-"_ His eyes then widened when he unexpectedly felt an alarm bell go off inside his head, which compelled him to jump to the side as fast as he could.

As the tail shot past him, instead of feeling his body overlap with it, his arm ended up getting torn off by the lightning fast appendage, which struck the remains of the second floor behind him and disintegrated it.

The force of the attack continued to travel across the Uchiha clan district, punching holes through multiple rooves as it traveled before striking the perimeter wall of the village, where it stopped after knocking an entire chunk out of it. The guards currently patrolling the area all freaked out when they saw the massive section of the defensive line get blasted to smithereens by what could only be described as a blast of wind.

Skidding to a stop several feet away, the stunned murderer in the black cloak looked down at the spot where his arm used to be; quickly noticing the clean cut that had been made to the now bleeding stump. "Shit. That was close." His alarmed gaze then shot back up to the fox from his missing limb, which he could see retract its tail and turn to face him. _"What the hell is this thing? How is it able to hit me?"_

It must have something to do with the strange looking chakra he could see permeating from its tails and from the fox's now massive body. The energy seemed very strange and irregular, and that the attacks she launched were next to invisible… _incorporeal_. It certainly wasn't registering as chakra as far as he was concerned, as he'd never seen anything like this before. Perhaps it was this strange energy that was allowing this animal, this… _demon_ or _spirit_ or whatever it was, to cancel out his _Kamui_ and deal him so many physical blows.

Before he could fully comprehend exactly what he was facing, the assassin suddenly saw the giant fox's mouth open and blue energy begin to gather in front of her at an alarming rate. When the flames gathered to form a pulsating sphere, the assassin's expression became somewhat afraid, as he stepped away once again.

"Oh, shit."

With a loud howl, the giant, four-tailed white fox then reared back before lunging forward, unleashing an intense beam of blue energy straight at the man. A massive sonic boom rocked the very building they were standing on as the attack rocketed from Tama's mouth and towards her target, melting the floor from the point it was launched.

Recoiling in shock, the mysterious assassin could only give a yell of alarm as the faster than light bolt suddenly struck him and lit up the entire sky with a brilliant blue flash. A thunderclap followed shortly afterwards when the remaining portions of the building's second story roof were disintegrated, and the blue beam fired by Tama shot up into the sky and streaked across the countryside like a shooting star. When it eventually made landfall about a hundred odd kilometers away, hitting a distant mountain, an explosion akin to a nuclear warhead went up, completely incinerating the edifice in a gargantuan orange blast.

The shockwave from the chakra nuke rippled across the atmosphere of the planet, before petering out moments later, along with the mushroom cloud that'd formed.

When the light from the point of impact ebbed away and the smoke covering the building also dissipated, Tama saw the trench she'd torn across the remains of the building, indicating the path her attack had followed. When she saw that her opponent was nowhere to be seen, it seemed in all likelihood that she'd incinerated him. Considering how powerful her raw chakra attack had been, there shouldn't have been anything left of him. But Tama knew better.

The man was able to activate his teleportation at the very last second to escape a potentially fatal hit. Although a good portion of him had been grazed and burned by the attack moments before his body completely disappeared, he still managed to evade it.

Figuring he wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon after that and the amount of damage she'd already caused him, the white fox then allowed herself to revert back to her previous form. Tails vanishing down to one, Tama's shrunk back to her original state, leaving the tiny white fox sitting alone on the ruins of the Uchiha clan military stronghold.

Tama huffed when she felt herself turn back to normal and spent the next few seconds contemplating her victory. Though judging from the expression she currently had she wasn't all that happy. The man was still alive and, from what she'd sensed of him, his presence did not bode well for anybody in this village… particularly her blond companion and savior.

It was then her thoughts and senses went back to Naruto, at which point she suddenly picked up on something else amiss across that part of the village. Head shooting towards another section of the district, the white fox stared across at it in alarm before, with a loud bark, she then scampered off of the roof and in the direction of the disturbance.

Naruto was in trouble…

XXX

(Meanwhile)

After Tama had left them moments earlier, Naruto, Izumi and Tayuya had spent the first couple of minutes standing out in the middle of the street in uncomfortable silence, not knowing what was going on or why everything was so quiet.

Sensing a disturbance in the air and not liking the vibe she was getting from the area, the young Uchiha girl decided to investigate the area and ran down the road. "You two wait here. I'll be back." She then leapt up onto the nearby rooftop and disappeared.

Not entirely sure whether they should follow after the girl, the two orphans held their ground and waited.

A few more minutes passed. Swaying back and forth on the spot as he stood in the middle of the road with their bags of shopping sitting nearby, the jinchuriki took a moment to survey the area for a third time. Becoming increasingly creeped out by the fact that all of the shops in their area were either closed or completely deserted, it soon reached the point that he and his friend were unable to wait any longer.

"That's it. I'm going to check out the neighborhood," Naruto said, at the same time beginning to walk off.

"A-Alright." Quickly falling into step with her friend, Tayuya then looked over at the bags they were leaving on the ground and spoke, "What about the food?"

"They'll be there when we get back, I'm sure," the blond replied, before setting a casual jogging pace that had them traveling right up the main road and further into the Uchiha Clan compound. "Come on."

Leaving their bags of groceries in the middle of the road in a hopes that it would still be there by the time they got back was perhaps their most optimistic thought for the night, for as they began traveling through the suburbs and further into the village quarter, it became glaringly apparent that there wasn't anyone around. Quickly becoming irked at the emptiness dominating the main road, they then focused their efforts on the clan family homes and quickly hit the residential areas running parallel on either side of the market street.

Following a random path into the back roads, Naruto and Tayuya happened upon an intersection. After having a quick look about, they then started down a small path on the left. By the time they got here, the only sign of life they'd seen was that of a small orange cat, which darted across the road ahead of them and caused them to slow their run. Checking out the area the feline had come from, the two kids then heard the sound of glass breaking in the distance, which quickly had them stop in their tracks.

"You hear that?" Naruto asked.

Tayuya nodded, "Maybe it's a robber?"

"In a village full of ninja?" the blond asked, this being the first time he'd ever heard someone even suggest the concept. What kind of crook would be crazy enough to steal from a house owned by a fully trained and armed shinobi?

While cautiously looking around the lane they'd ended up in, Naruto then noticed the door to a nearby house was open, with a light flickering ominously at the end of the hallway. Raising an eyebrow at the sight of the completely unlocked entrance, especially when he saw a shadow dart through the inside of the structure, his curiosity soon got the better of him, and he decided to investigate.

A worried Tayuya raised a fearful hand when she saw her friend run towards the house, "Be careful."

Naruto waved in acknowledgement of the girl's words, at the same time he quietly eased in through the front door of the stately Uchiha home. Tiptoeing his way down the smooth, hardwood hallway, the blond squinted through the shadows as he tried to find something in the dimly lit hall. When he heard the sound of a dull thud on the second floor above him, his attention was quickly drawn to a set of stairs and, figuring he'd already come this far, ran up them.

Arriving at the second story hall, the sounds of loud thumps, scuffling and metal clanging pulled Naruto's attention towards the nearby bedroom. When a loud clatter echoed out followed by the pained scream of an adult male, the blond sprinted to the scene and skidded to a stop in front of the doorway. He made it just in time to hear the shrill scream of a woman and the cry of a child.

The moment the orphan looked into the bedroom, he was immediately hit by a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Naruto saw a black haired man in his late thirties and dressed in a nighttime kimono, lying wounded on the ground with a kunai sitting next to him and blood splattered across the floor. Behind him was a young woman, presumably the wife, and two Uchiha children, an eight-year-old girl with black hair tied into pigtails and a five-year-old boy, huddled up against their mother. Though all of them were of different ages and were dressed differently from each other, every single one of them wore the same looks of fear on their faces as they stared up at their assailant; a young teenager in a black and grey ANBU uniform, long black hair tied into a ponytail, and armed with a katana that was currently dripping with blood.

It was the sight of the weapon that was what startled Naruto into action. The moment he saw the shadowy assassin raise it and step towards the fallen man who was obviously trying to protect his family, the blond sprinted into the room.

"NO!" Naruto's shout seemed to catch the killer completely by surprise, as the ANBU stopped mid-swing to see the orange-wearing orphan sprinting at him from the door.

Taking this as his one and only chance, the man with the grievous sword wound across his shoulder sat up and jumped at his attacker's legs, trapping one of them in his arms. This caused the young ANBU to lose his balance long enough for Naruto to lower his head and nail him with a full-body tackle right in his waist.

Able to build up enough momentum to put some wicked force behind his charge, Naruto, his arms snapping around the man's hips, used all the strength he could muster to pick him the young adult off the ground and send both of them through the bedroom window. The sound of smashing glass echoed across the cul-de-sac as the blond orphan and the assassin he'd tackled fell from the second story floor and towards the backyard below, where the latter ended up crashing with a loud thud.

Bouncing off of his human airbag when they hit the ground, Naruto tumbled across the lawn and stopped several feet away. Groaning from the fall, he then looked up to see the person he'd landed on rise to his feet with sword in hand. Swaying momentarily as the moonlight above hit his face, the home invader then glared up to see exactly who had tackled him. It was in that moment the orphan was able to get a good look at the assassin's face.

The guy looked to be no older than fourteen, but he was dressed in a full ANBU uniform, complete with flexible body armor, shin guards, arm guards, and pouches. He also had a very slim build, but even though he wasn't showcasing much muscle Naruto could feel this guy was strong. He also had the mask of the organization hanging from the belt at his side, indicating he'd probably removed it earlier in the night to have a better view of his surroundings. However, aside from his youthful yet stern features, sharp eyes, long black hair, and the _Konoha_ headband worn tight across his brow, Naruto noticed a pair of bright red eyes glowing from under the shadow of his fringe.

From the distinctive black tomoe and configuration of the pinwheel pattern, the blond knew instantly what he was looking at.

As soon as he saw the young man turn to him, Naruto whispered in astonishment, "Y-You're-"

Before any words or explicates could be given, a familiar voice called out. "Naruto-kun!" Moments later Tayuya came darting around the corner. Having obviously heard the crash of the window in the backyard, the girl had quickly rushed around the house to investigate, where she immediately found the ANBU assassin standing over her blond friend. Her expression showcased alarm the instant she happened upon the scene. "Hey! You! Get the hell away from him!"

Noticing the little girl standing behind him, the raven haired assailant's eyes narrowed partly out of annoyance and partly out of concern where, after glancing between the two kids, he then crouched low and leapt into the air. Using his eyes and whatever other extra-sensory abilities he had, Naruto tracked his foe, watching the now blur of a figure take to the rooftops before bolting off in a random direction. Scrambling to his feet and sprinting past Tayuya, the blond youngster kept his senses fixed on the retreating bad guy and gave chase.

"Naruto? What are you-?!" Tayuya shouted as she dashed after her friend.

"That guy tried to kill the family inside! I'm going after him!" Naruto shouted, setting a fast pace as he then sprinted right back to the main road, following the blur now bounding across the rooftops. "We can't let him attack any more people!"

"Right!" Tayuya yelled back as she did her best to keep up with the fitter, stronger blond.

The pair then began a brisk marathon down random back roads and side-streets, following the elusive shadow that Naruto was determined to keep in his sights. All things considered, he'd probably caught the man in the middle of something important and had effectively cut short whatever plans he had for the rest of the night. Even though what he'd just done had been super dangerous and stupid, and what he was now doing was completely out of his depth, the blond was determined to not let this man attack anymore people. So, with a goal set and a path forged, Naruto continued following his target back to whatever hole or hideout he crawled out from.

While he was watching the ANBU assailant spring from rooftop to rooftop, making sure he didn't enter anymore houses, Naruto and Tayuya exited the streets onto another road filled with bodies that'd been riddled with kunai and sword cuts. Barely having enough time to appear shocked, the pair hopscotched over the corpses before stumbling out onto the main highway.

Not knowing what to say, Tayuya uttered the only words that could come to mind from her few weeks of experience on the streets. "Fuck this guy!"

"Yeah! I know!" Naruto shouted back, completely agreeing with her over how ridiculous this was.

Naruto was so focused on keeping his eyes on the roofs that he didn't notice another kid running up the main road they were now entering. Without warning the blond collided with the newcomer, sending both him and his victim crashing to the floor. Rolling back onto his hands and knees, Naruto looked up to see who he'd just so blindly run into, and saw the familiar face of a surprised Sasuke staring back at him.

Having dropped the bag of training supplies he'd been carrying, the dazed Uchiha child blinked when he saw the blond lying across from him. "N-Naruto?"

After a brief moment of confusion, Naruto quickly remembered why he was here in the first place and hastily leapt to his feet. "Sorry, Sasuke! Gotta go!" He then ran off in the direction he saw the shadow of his target disappear, with Tayuya following right behind.

Not knowing what the heck was going on, Sasuke remained where he was, watching as his classmate disappeared down the street.

About a couple minutes of running later and Naruto eventually tracked the assassin to a large house within the Uchiha Clan district. Quickly deducing that this was the home belonging to the main branch of the family, the blond boy didn't even hesitate as he sprinted right onto the property, leaving Tayuya panting at the front gate. Not exactly knowing who was going to be waiting in the building for him, Naruto used his knowledge of the traditional structure from both the orphanage and the main buildings in his neighborhood to navigate around the property. Working out where the main room would be from the outside, the blond then crept in from the side entrance and tiptoed through the house.

Honing in on the man's presence in the middle of the complex, the boy wandered through the dark corridors before eventually happening upon a set of paper doors. Hearing the sounds of two people whispering on the other side, the orphan stopped at the entrance and looked at it, where he was quickly able to make out a group of shadows sitting on the other side. Narrowing his eyes, he quietly and slowly slid the door open.

When he did, Naruto spotted two adults, a husband and wife, kneeling in the middle of the room with the shadow of the ANBU he'd been chasing standing directly behind them. Narrowing his eyes on the peculiar scene, the blond suddenly saw a flash of silver and the sight of a long blade appearing in the light of the moon. Realizing what was going to happen, Naruto threw open the door and sprinted into the room at the exact moment the assassin raised his blade and struck.

"LOOK OUT!" the blond bellowed.

It happened in an instant. The assassin's blade swung down and across in a wide arc, with the intent to kill his targets as swiftly as possible. But Naruto intervened. Leaping directly between the couple and their would-be killer at the last second, he knocked the husband and wife forward while the sword carved straight over his back. The sound of flesh being cut filled the room along with a spray of blood as the jinchuriki, a stunned look appearing on his face, tumbled to the ground. His momentum carried him all the way to the wall directly underneath the room's main window on the other side, where he ended up crashing in a crumpled heap.

The husband and wife looked across at the blond intruder in shock, as did the assassin standing behind them.

"What in the-" Fugaku murmured, not knowing what the heck had just happened.

Taking a moment to look at the blond boy lying curled up at the wall, shaking from head to toe and gasping for air as he was bleeding out, Mikoto then gasped when she quickly recognized the child. "N-Naruto-kun?"

Coughing up fluid as he felt the gaping wound in his back send bolts of pain shooting through him, the blond hero cracked open his eyes and looked up at the couple he'd just saved. "Man… that was stupid… so stupid…" It was lucky he was able to shove the two adults out of the way using his body, as he was able to avoid getting cut in half by the ANBU's sword.

However, he still received one hell of a flesh wound, which he was sure was going to leave a massive scar.

Immediate concern flooding through her, the shocked mother quickly got up and rushed over to the fallen child, where she knelt over him and attempted to help. When she pulled her hand away from his jacket however and saw the amount of blood coating her palm, she thought better against the idea and just kept him in place, "Stay still. It's okay. You're going to be okay."

They were so caught up in the moment that none of them even noticed the explosion that filled the sky outside their window or the shockwaves that followed it.

Shock, confusion and chaos ran rampant through all parties present, especially Itachi. Instantly identifying the blond kid as the same one who'd interrupted his previous assassination, cutting his attack on the district short and forcing him to break off from the remainder of his raid, the teenage ANBU agent quickly processed what'd happened and took a shaken step back. Promptly wiping his face on the back of his arm, clearing it of the perspiration that was there, the young prodigy then brought his sword up a second time. But just as he was mentally preparing himself to take out his mother and father, the creaking of the door up ahead then alerted the four to the arrival of another party.

When the group looked, they saw Sasuke standing in the doorway, staring across at the scene in front of him. Eyes wide in confusion as he glanced between his parents, his brother and to Naruto lying beside his mother with a horrifying wound in his back, the Uchiha child gulped and spoke up.

"Mum… d-dad… niisan… what's going on?" Sasuke stuttered, shaking his head as he stepped further into the room. "Th-There are dead bodies all over the street."

"Sasuke," Fugaku whispered.

The parents, too overwhelmed by everything that'd happened in the last few minutes, were unable to say anything to their youngest child. The only sounds that filled the room were those made by the groaning Naruto, who was doing everything he could to get back up and fight. However, after a few seconds of letting the silence percolate, the previously nonplussed Itachi then narrowed his eyes on the sight of his younger brother and clenched his fists around his sword.

At that moment, he acted.

"Foolish." His body then vanished in a blur as he then darted across the room straight towards his sibling, his sword flashing through the air.

Seeing her eldest son charge towards her youngest, a horrified Mikoto cried out, "ITACHI! NO!" But her words didn't reach him.

Before Sasuke could even react, Itachi lashed out at him with his blade, intent on impaling him with a single swing. A loud squelch of a sword impaling a body echoed throughout the house as another splatter of blood stained the wooden floor. At first it seemed like the ANBU had managed cut right through his younger brother. But as it turns out, the moment Itachi ran at Sasuke, his father Fugaku sprang to his feet and leapt between them, allowing his older son to impale him instead.

The sight of the sword's blade sticking out the other side of his father while he stood directly behind him caused the Uchiha child to gape up at the scene in horror.

"N-Niisan… why did you…?" Sasuke stammered, his body beginning to tremble as he felt the flecks of blood on his face run down his cheeks.

Mikoto and Naruto were also stunned, watching as Fugaku's arms and head dropped, while Itachi remained where he was, lowered in a striking position with his red eyes fixed upon his father's face.

Blood dribbling from his mouth due to the sword in his stomach, the wounded Fugaku slowly looked up to glare at his oldest son, whose expression remained as cold and unfeeling as steel.

"I-Itachi…" the head of the clan wheezed, his body shaking as darkness began encroaching upon his domain.

Still, the assassin's face and resolve remained unshaken, and the response that left him was as soft as one spoken by a true killer. "Father."

A smile tugging at the corner of his bloody lips, Fugaku leaned forward and, after whispering several words to his son that no one else was able to hear, reached up, placed a hand against the side of Itachi's face, and ran his fingers down his cheek. The act of which left a bloody stain across the young warrior's skin, before the father's eyes finally closed and he collapsed to the floor. At the same time Itachi removed his sword, holding it at his side and letting the blood dribble from its blade.

A long silence then stretched over the house as the Uchiha family and Naruto looked down at the fallen body of Fugaku. In that moment, Sasuke dropped to his knees and, crawling over to his dad's body, tried to shake the man awake.

"Father… father… wake up… please, wake up…" the young Uchiha whimpered, thinking against all hope that the man had just lost consciousness. That everything he'd just seen was just some practical joke or a horrible dream. "Please…" But as he watched the blood begin to pool around his father's body and he received no response from him, Sasuke finally came to the full realization of what'd happened. His shock coming full circle, the child then clenched his eyes shut and began to sob.

All the while Itachi simply glared down at the boy, watching and listening as his younger brother fell into a pit of anguish. Behind him, Mikoto was also shedding tears, having to cover her mouth to stop herself from breaking down as well.

Seconds of sniveling later, Sasuke, clenching his hand around his father's shirt, looked up and glared daggers at his brother. In that instant, Itachi, Naruto and Mikoto saw the child's eyes flash red and a single tomoe fleck appear in each of his eyes. This told all three of them that Sasuke had just awakened his Sharingan.

"Why?" Sasuke hissed, taking a few deep breaths before then screaming at the top of his lungs, "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!"

At this, Itachi scoffed, "Simple…" He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before then opening them. "To measure my capacity." Upon which he then opened them.

When he did, Itachi's normal Sharingan suddenly morphed from the three tomoe form into a three-pronged shuriken shape, which were accentuated by the appearance of veins around his irises. The instant they appeared, Sasuke was suddenly hit by the powerful, gut-wrenching illusion world of the _**Tsukuyomi**_ , which quickly filled his head with memories of days spent with his beloved family and all the gruesome murders Itachi had committed over the course of the entire evening. With each and every instant chugging by at a snail's pace and tearing at the child's mind and soul, the boy soon could no longer maintain cohesion in the real world. A split second after being hit by the time-dilating genjutsu Sasuke, letting out a cry of pain and anguish, dropped to his knees and fell flat over his father's freshly killed corpse.

Mikoto freaked out when she saw this and spoke up in a sorrow-filled voice, "What did you do to your brother?"

The man then glanced over his shoulder, where he showed both his mother and Naruto, now on his knees, the new pinwheel formation of his _Mangekyō Sharingan_. It was a sight that had Mikoto recoil in disbelief.

"I showed him _everything_ … everything I did… and everything that I'm going to do." At this, the young murderer then turned and brandished his sword, which had his mother freeze up. "There is no other way, mother. It is essential."

Before he could take a step however, the man suddenly felt something grab his leg and looked down. It was there he saw Sasuke, still remarkably conscious, holding onto his ankle and, through a strained face, was glaring up at him. "T-Test your capacity?! That's complete crap! My brother… my brother would _never_ do this!"

Itachi's frown deepened, "The brother you loved and wanted to spend time with has done all of this… every last unspeakable deed… all for his own purposes. I killed both father and my clansmen simply to test my abilities… and now I'm letting you live for the exact same reason. Right now… you are simply not worth killing." When Sasuke looked up at his brother in confusion, the man went on to elaborate further. "At least… not yet. If you want to avenge everything I've done tonight… curse me, hate me… and live a long and unsightly life. Surround yourself with loneliness and pain, gain strength from it, and some day… when you have the same eyes as I do… come find me-"

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIS BULLSHIT, SASUKE!" Naruto barked from his side of the room, using his training to push down the pain in his back and stand. When Sasuke turned to the blond in surprise, the orphan pressed on. "That's just what he wants you to do! He wants to make you angry! He wants you to hate him! He's just playing you!"

Hearing the blonde's words, Sasuke looked back up at his brother, whom he saw was still glaring down at him with his new Sharingan. In that moment his inner self was at war. One side was screaming at him to get up and lash out at his older sibling, to give in to his goading words and kill him right then and there. But another side told him that that wasn't the way, that attacking the person he loved wasn't right, and that giving him was a sign of weakness. All things considered, there was nothing Sasuke wanted to do more than beat up this… this _creature_ standing in front of him for killing their father and their clansmen, and get back the brother he loved and cherished most in the world.

However, after seeing his mother and the boy from his class kneeling nearby, and hearing Naruto's words reverberate through his head, the angry and outraged Sasuke gritted his teeth and, glaring back up at Itachi defiantly, spat at him his answer, "No."

Exhaling in annoyance, the oldest Uchiha sibling then turned around. "Fine. If you won't listen to reason…" Wrenching his ankle from his younger brother's hand, he then stomped across the room towards Mikoto and Naruto. "Then watch how your weakness and helplessness will lead to mother's death."

As a shocked Sasuke desperately clawed at the ground and began dragging himself after his brother to stop him and Mikoto continued to kneel by the window, the badly wounded Naruto, his pants and jacket covered in blood from his injury, struggled to his feet and took a fighting stance. Even as he saw Itachi marching towards him with sword drawn, the blond bravely held his ground and hissed at him.

"I won't… let you kill her," Naruto barked.

The moment Naruto said this, Itachi flashed his _Mangekyō Sharingan_ at the blond, "Don't interfere."

In that instant, Naruto was hit head-on by the man's _**Tsukuyomi**_ and dragged unwillingly into a powerful genjutsu. Body going rigid and all sense of the world around him vanishing, the blond was suddenly bombarded by a series of images that seemingly played out in real time, and he was forced to endure every little moment that passed. His body taking on a physical form in this world, the blond saw random villagers and people he'd met on the streets passing him by, all of them going about their daily lives happily and without fear. However, without warning, the moments and scenes of tranquility suddenly transformed into images of bloodshed and horror, as Naruto suddenly found himself standing in the burning center of _Konohagakure_ , staring up at the form of a massive, nine-tailed monstrosity tearing the village apart.

Looking over its massive girth, Naruto saw orange fur, massive dagger-like claws, blood-red eyes surrounded by blackness, and teeth capable of crushing entire mountains with a single snap shining in the night. It was only when he saw its face emerge from the smoke billowing around its head that the youngster recognized it as the Kyuubi no Yoko; the very same demon responsible for attacking his home on the day of his birth.

As its howl ripped through the skies and its appendages collapsed entire neighborhoods around it, a tremor from its footfall then caused Naruto to stumble forward and into one of the areas it'd decimated. The moment the boy looked up, he found himself staring at hundreds of dead, eviscerated bodies of men, women and children of all ages. As the illusion forced him to look over every single one of their charred, crushed or mangled bodies up close, he then saw the wives, husbands and children of these victims kneeling over them, cradling them, and crying over their dead loved ones. The sights were so heart wrenching that Naruto wanted to run and hide, to escape this hell of a world he'd been thrust into.

What followed from there was a vision of him as a baby wearing his orange pendant and lying on some kind of altar, which then transitioned into his days as a child growing up in the orphanage. Naruto saw the same faces of the people of the village, most of whom he'd seen in the vision of the Kyuubi's attack, glaring hatefully at him and whispering words his way.

They were all the same words he'd heard hundreds if not thousands of times before. 'Go away.' 'Leave me alone.' 'We can't be seen with you.' 'Don't come near me.' 'Demon.' 'Stay away.' 'Don't look at me.' 'Monster.' What followed after the hundred faces he saw utter these words directly to him was the same people and their families all turning their backs on him; from the people who worked in the stores of his neighborhood to his classmates at the academy.

He also saw Tenten, Iruka, Tayuya, Hiruzen, Teuchi and Ayame, people he cared about, cherished and respected more than anyone else in the village, turn their backs on him as well and leave him standing in the middle of the road. Tears appearing in his avatar version's eyes at seeing his beloved newfound friends walking away, Naruto attempted to chase after them and catch up.

When he tried to call out to them, all he got in return was silence. Moments later, a sickening blackness from behind suddenly reached forward with its cold, thin, needle-like claws and took hold of him. Thrashing against the shadow's grip as it literally started to bury into his skin and cover his body, a terrified Naruto tried to fight against the tar and cry out for help.

But it was no use. The boy, his words falling on deaf ears and his body powerless against the force as it consumed him, was then dragged into the empty, bottomless void that opened up in the air behind him.

When cold and pain gripped his entire being, and stabbed at every single one of his nerve-endings like a million tiny blades, Naruto was then yanked out of his month-long tenure inside the _Tsukuyomi_ and back to the real world. It was here the child let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain and horror, before collapsing to his knees in exhaustion. Eyes glazed over and tears pouring down his cheeks, the catatonic boy choked on his own breaths as he then knelt there in shock, while Mikoto looked at the child helplessly.

"W-What is this?" Naruto gasped, collapsing into the arms of the Uchiha mother behind him as his body was rocked by twitches and spasms.

Itachi meanwhile, still walking towards the blond and his mother, disregarded the effects his genjutsu had on the jinchuriki. Showing the child exactly what he wanted him to see, the unfeeling teenager then drew his sword back to cut through Mikoto with a single swing.

But just before he could fully raise his sword, the sound of flute music suddenly echoed into the room. It was a melody that Itachi picked up instantly, before his body froze in place. Eyes widening when he felt all his muscles seize up, like he was being possessed by an invisible, otherworldly force, the paralyzed assassin then glanced around the room in confusion.

At the same time, Mikoto, Naruto and Sasuke also froze, as the effects of the music hit them too.

" _Genjutsu?"_ Realizing that these strange affects were being caused by the sound waves he was hearing, he then attempted to figure out the location of their source.

He quickly honed in on it when he spotted a shadow in the doorway to his right, the same one Naruto had come from. Just around the corner, an intently observing Tayuya had concealed herself and was now playing on her flute, sending out sound waves laced with chakra.

It wasn't an overly complicated technique or a dangerous one. It was just a small charm piece that her mother had left her as a way of protecting herself if she ever found herself in trouble and needed to escape. After arriving at the room and witnessing the exchange between Naruto and the Uchiha, the girl, desperate to save the blond who'd saved her, decided now was as good a time as any to use her technique.

For the most part it was working.

" _Don't you dare lay a finger on Naruto-kun, you bastard!"_ the redhead thought as she continued to play, her musical notes coming out in an unbroken stream as she desperately fed whatever chakra she had and had control of into it.

Twitching as he struggled to fight back against the technique wrapping around his body, Itachi quickly deduced the best way to break out of it and bit down hard on the corner of his mouth. Cutting his lip and causing blood to leak out, the pain from the act allowed the Uchiha to effectively break out of the sound-induced paralysis, draw a set of kunai from his pouch, and chuck them towards the nearby wall.

Tayuya gave a shriek when the blades punched through the wall, one of them slicing at her side and knocking her to the floor. This caused her to stop playing music and dropped her flute, which rolled out of reach.

Frowning at the obstacles continuing to hamper him, Itachi decided to end this one and for all. However, just as he was once again readying himself to strike Mikoto and Naruto down, the sound of crashing fast-approaching his position quickly alerted him to danger. Leaping back at the last second, the Uchiha was able to move just in time to avoid a cluster of kunai shooting past him. The sight of blue flames suddenly twisting upwards and outwards from the floorboards also prompted Itachi to backflip out of the way and land directly behind Sasuke. When he looked up a split second later, he saw a figure come bursting through the side window and a white blur emerge from the settling flash of fire.

When the smoke and debris cleared moments later, he clearly saw the uniform clad figure of Izumi standing in front of him with kunai drawn and a white fox the size of a horse with four tails coiled aggressively around it. While the girl was glaring daggers at the teenage assassin, the large fox was growling at him and looking ready to snap.

Slightly alarmed at the sight of the giant beast now filling the room, much like the rest of the group, Itachi did a quick assessment of his situation. Realizing his intended targets were being blocked off by both the massive vixen and Izumi, and that he was also quite literally facing down the blade end of a sword, his options to mount a successful attack were limited. When he tried to make a reach for his sword, he saw the giant fox's claws dig in and the blue flames at the end of its four tails flicker dangerously.

Where in the world did this thing come from anyway?

Seeing her friend staring back at her and the man supposedly responsible for all the grisly murders she'd discovered, Izumi's expression quickly saddened. "Itachi-kun… why?"

The young man didn't answer.

Realizing that he was now at an extreme disadvantage, the raven haired ANBU opted for the best and only course of action he could take at that moment.

A tactical retreat.

Quickly drawing a cluster of kunai from his pouch, he then pitched them at the two biggest targets in front of him, only to watch the giant white fox's tails whip through the air, knock the blades away in several different directions and form a protective wall in front of the wounded group. While two of the blades were sent flying out one window and another through the paper doors on the right to another room in the house, the paper ball on the end of the fourth exploded prematurely and filled the room with a thick cloud of white smoke. The other three kunai however, with explosive tags attached to them, detonated in the areas they'd been deflected, rattling the house, destroying the building's wall to the garden and decimating the living room on the other side of the corridor.

Tama then responded with a loud bark and another whip of an individual tail, sending it straight at Itachi. Despite the attack's speed, the teen was able to dodge it and leap out the nearby window, upon which he quickly vanished into the night.

In a matter of moments the ANBU assailant was gone, and the night's string of chaos and terror had come to an abrupt and climactic end.

After the smoke from the decoy kunai dissipated, revealing a completely wrecked room and bodies all over the place, the transformed Tama quickly reverted back to her base form once again. Her body shrinking to its compact size, the tiny little vixen then turned her attention to Naruto being held and cradled by the distraught Uchiha mother.

Both Tama and Izumi quickly went over to check on the blond, taking him out of the hands of Mikoto who then quickly rushed over to check on the unconscious Sasuke, who'd also been knocked out cold from the shockwaves. While this swap occurred, the injured Tayuya quietly and nervously entered the room.

The little white fox, looking incredibly scared and concerned for the boy, went up to his hand and nudged it with her snout. Doing this a couple of times, she then gave a loud whimper to try and wake the boy from his slumber. She then licked his fingers, doing everything she could to get some sort of a response out of him.

Rushing over to where Naruto was and clutching the deep cut in her side, the red-headed flute player looked down at the unconscious boy in worry. "Is… Is Naruto-kun going to be alright?"

"I'm not sure." Feeling the blood on her hand, Izumi was then about to begin healing it with the mystical palm technique when she suddenly sensed a spike in chakra emanate from the orange pendant around his neck. Through her Sharingan she saw an orange glow of energy begin wrapping around his body from the gem, which quickly fathered around the wound and started sewing the cells together, repairing all the damages he'd suffered.

Though initially surprised at the strange sight, the stumped Izumi then smiled in relief and looked up at Tayuya. "Yeah. He's going to be okay." Her answer drew a sigh from the flute user as well, before the two of them went back to looking down at the boy.

As soon as the mysterious healing process began, the previously unconscious Naruto gasped back into the real world, his blue eyes flickering open as he took in big gulps of much needed air. After light returned to his eyes and the world gradually came into focus, the orphan child looked up at the surprised faces of the two girls and the little white fox he'd ventured into the district with. When Tayuya and Izumi peered down at him, the blond then cracked an exhausted yet meaningful grin.

"H-Hey guys. Is… Is everyone okay?" These being the first, albeit tired words out of his mouth.

While Tama gave a happy yip and clambered up his body to lick his face, earning a lighthearted laugh from the boy, the previously anxious Izumi beamed at the kid. "Yeah. You did great, kid. Well done."

"Don't scare me like that again, you idiot," Tayuya scolded with a smile of her own.

Another chuckle left Naruto's lips as he lazily patted his vixen friend on the head. "Yeah… I'll try not to…" Naruto whispered, before then allowing his eyes to shut and his head to roll to the side, indicating he'd fallen fast to sleep.

It'd been a long and crazy night for all of them.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. Uchiha Massacre Arc - Shades of Green

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone. I'm happy to say that I've uploaded another chapter; this one being **_the last chapter_** before the timeskip to Naruto's graduation period.

A few things have changed, but the beginning of the chapter still has the same aspects from Freelancer. However, I believe the ending wraps this arc up nicely.

Now we get to see where the events take us from here.

Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Shades of Green_

" _Naruto…" the distant voice of a woman echoed through the dark, despite there not being a soul or a speck of light to be seen._

" _Naruto… don't be a fussy eater. Eat a lot and grow up to be big and strong. Take your bath every day, go to bed early, and sleep well…"_

 _Even though there was nothing, even though it was cold and unforgiving, this new yet strangely familiar voice brought warmth and comfort to the void stretching out forever. Though it was but an echo, you could clearly make out the feelings of love and the sadness laced into every word, as if what was being said was the last thing that would ever be._

 _The weight of each word pushed through the vacuum, making sure to reach the very person they were meant for._

" _Make friends, it doesn't matter how many… just make sure they're good friends, people you can trust, who you will love… and who will love you in return. Even if they are a few. And… if you want to be a shinobi someday… study hard… with everything you have."_

" _Everyone has things they're good at… and things they're not… so don't feel bad if you can't do it all."_

 _Through the black and the emptiness, a light suddenly appeared in the distance. As it gleamed into view, what looked like droplets of water began to cascade from the light. It filled the space and brought a sense of life to the darkness._

" _Make sure you listen to your teachers. Avoid the three vices of shinobi: don't borrow money if you can't help it, save up what you can, and no drinking alcohol until you're twenty… and don't overdo it or else you'll ruin your body. And… as far as women go… well…" The voice giggled at the end, which added a new wave of positivity to the woman's words. "There are only men and women in this world… and you'll want to have a girlfriend someday. Just… don't fall for the first one you meet. Try to find someone special… someone you know will make you feel happy…"_

 _All of a sudden a silhouette in the brightness suddenly appeared. No details could be made out, except that it was a person with long flowing hair and a slender figure. Due to the amount of light there was, it was impossible to make out a face, but they seemed to be drawing closer._

" _Naruto… you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering in your life…" The voice seemed to be even sadder now, with the distinct sounds of sniffing and sobbing mixed in with the words. It also sounded like the voice was getting weak, but the signal was stronger than ever. "Don't let any of it get you down. Remember who you are… make friends… fill your life with love… find a goal… find a dream… and don't ever stop until it comes true."_

 _All of a sudden, a colorful light gleamed from the center of the silhouette drawing closer and closer, and from it a red gem appeared. It was perfectly round, it didn't have any markings, and it looked like it was made out of pure energy. As soon as it took shape, it began to overtake the mysterious silhouette._

" _Keep this close, Naruto. No matter where you go or what you do, it will protect you. There's so much more I want to say to you… so much more I want to teach you…"_

 _The gem swallowed up the person and flew through the light, growing larger and larger as it approached. More voices could be heard, but they were molded together, distant, and indiscernible from each other. The same words spoken by the woman could be heard in this echo, along with a man's voice, someone who was soft, kind, and spoke with the same warmth and affection as the woman._

 _Though most of this echo couldn't be made out, one phrase stuck out above them and seemed to reverberate through the light and the fading darkness. It was a phrase that rang true to any who were intimate of its meaning._

" _I want to stay with you… I love you."_

 _Then there was a bright flash and a series of brightly glowing markings following a whirlpool symbol filled the light. They appeared and disappeared so fast that none of them could be made out and, just as suddenly as the light appeared…_

(End Dream)

XXX

(Morning)

Waking up to the sound birds chirping outside his window, a groggy Naruto took a moment for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings. Once they did, confusion soon took over him when he found himself surrounded by white curtains, white walls and a white ceiling, as well as various furniture and equipment that most certainly didn't belong to him. After craning his head up to get a better look at everything, the boy saw the familiar face of Tayuya hovering overhead and looking down at him. Her expression of concern quickly transformed into one of delight the moment she saw the boy's eyes open.

"You're awake," Tayuya chirped.

"Y-Yeah… I guess," Naruto chuckled, before then giving a groan as he sat up from his bed. Covers rolling away to reveal his chest and torso wrapped in bandages, the child then perked up and panned over his surroundings.

Almost immediately he spotted the familiar presence of the little white fox Tama curled up on his bed right on his legs; tail curled like a blanket around her and head resting comfortably on her paws. As if feeling his gaze on the back of her neck, the vixen's ears twitched before her eyes opened and head lifted upwards. When she saw Naruto looking down at her, the little fox gave a happy yip and bounded up to him, where she sprang up onto his chest and began licking his face.

Laughing at feeling the little mammal's morning greeting, Naruto then patted her on the head and settled her down. "Haha! Hey, Tama-chan. It's okay. It's okay. I'm alright." When he managed to push her off of his chest, the boy smiled at her. "Sorry I worried you so much." His attention then returned to his rest of his surroundings. Unable to see past the curtains or recognize any part of where he was, his first question was well within reason. "Where are we?"

"At the hospital. After the mess that went down in the Uchiha Clan district, the Hokage and a whole army of shinobi came in to close off the area," Tayuya said, throwing her arms out in front of her to illustrate the scale of the response. Her explanation however was more than enough, as she was unable to contain her amazement. "It was freakin' insane. While they were setting up guards around the main building and the police station, Izumi-san took you straight here, along with me."

"Oh. Good," the blond sighed, his eyes leaving Tayuya for a moment before snapping back to her with a start. "A-Are you okay though? The last thing I remember hearing was flute music playing in the background and seeing that Uchiha guy throw a bunch of knives through the wall."

Tayuya smiled back at the boy and nodded, "Yeah. I'm alright." She then lifted her arm and shirt, and showed off the bandages she had wrapped around her waist. "A few more inches to the left and I would've been a goner. Good thing the guy was so disoriented otherwise those would've gone right through my back."

"Yeah," Naruto murmured, breathing a sigh of relief as Tama sat comfortably on the bed right next to him. "The important thing is you're okay. Thanks for saving my life."

His words struck a chord in the redhead, who, after lowering her top, blushed and looked away with her arms crossed over his stomach. "Next time don't act so hastily, shithead," she mumbled under her breath, but loud enough for the blond to hear and grin in his usual manner.

"Shithead, huh? Never heard that one thrown at me before."

"It suits you," Tayuya replied snootily, before then smirking across at the blond. "I think I'll keep it."

After a moment of pause, the half-naked boy in the bed then took on a sad look and turned to his roommate. "How about Sasuke and his family? Are they alright?"

It was then Tayuya's expression also dropped and, in that moment, the girl glanced away regretfully. "Sasuke was knocked out cold like you were when the hidden leaf ninja showed up and was taken here by his mother. His father though…" She stopped midsentence, massaging the side of her arm anxiously.

"Oh," Naruto murmured, immediately feeling his mood plummet when he worked out where his friend was going with those words. His head lowered sadly. "I see."

"You two are lucky," a new voice spoke up, drawing the pair's attention across the cubicle. When they saw the curtains by the window get pulled back, both Naruto and Tayuya saw the red and white robed form of the village leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi, step into view. A stern look was plastered over his face as he continued speaking, "Itachi Uchiha was the strongest and most effective ANBU black ops agent in our village, and he killed a great many of his clansmen last night. The fact that you two were able to walk away alive means a great deal."

"Hokage-jiji," Naruto whispered, staring at the old man for a moment before a frown appeared on his face once again. "H-How many… how many people did that guy kill?"

Hiruzen's expression didn't falter in the face of the boy's question, even though the answer he gave was filled with regret and sadness. "I… don't think you two want to know that-"

"Tell them." A new voice from nearby spoke, before the three saw Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, step into view. When she did, the woman gave the Hokage a stern and unwavering glare. "They saved my son's life at the risk of their own… so they have a right to know."

After staring at the kunoichi for a moment and hearing her words of reason, the Third Hokage eventually relented and turned his attention back to the pair of youngsters. "Over eighty percent of the Uchiha Clan were killed by Itachi… approximately eight hundred people. Only about nine dozen in total survived, most of them women and children… non-combatants. That's 108 survivors counting." When he saw the shocked looks that appeared on Naruto and Tayuya's faces, Hiruzen breathed a heavy sigh and glanced at his feet. "Such a terrible fate should not have befallen so many innocent people, especially those from a clan who we've lived side-by-side with for over a hundred years. I only wish I could've responded sooner." He then looked back at the pair in front of him, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "But, as if luck should have it, you two were there with Izumi-chan…"

Thoughtful expressions came upon the pair's faces. "We… were helping her take groceries back to her apartment from the convenience store," Tayuya explained while looking the village leader in the eye.

"When we arrived and noticed no one was around, we became suspicious. That's when we discovered that guy breaking into the houses in the neighborhood and attacking the people inside," Naruto continued in his friend's place, which drew an understanding nod from Hiruzen.

"Though we had no idea who he was, we knew we had to stop him. So we chased him back to the main clan building in the middle of the district," Tayuya informed, glancing across at Mikoto to see the woman listening intently to their story. The flute player's head dipped when she felt the mother's gaze on her. "That's when… we ran into _her_ family…"

While Mikoto's expression scrunched up into one of thought, Hiruzen turned his attention over to Naruto and beamed, "I heard it was you that barged in on Itachi and stopped him from killing Hondo and his wife and children." When he saw the blond nod, the elder stepped towards him. "It was a brave and noble effort. Thanks to your timely intervention, you ended up saving the lives of many young Uchiha who were fortunate enough to not have fallen before his blade."

Naruto, rubbing his head sheepishly, looked away for a moment, "I just did what I thought was right. A good shinobi would do anything to protect the people in his village, no matter how hard or tough the challenges are, right?" He gave the old man a grin.

Hiruzen chuckled, "That's right."

After this brief exchange, the group then saw Mikoto walk forward and, after sitting herself down on the edge of Naruto's bed, reached over and gave him a hug. Though the blond was completely caught off guard by the sudden action, he didn't fight back or protest in any way. He just sat there and let the gesture run its course, until the raven haired mother pulled away with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"You risked your life to try and save my family. Even though Itachi was so much stronger than you were, you still managed to stand up to him and save my Sasuke," Mikoto whispered, her tears breaking away and starting to run down her cheeks. Choking up a little, she then beamed warmly at the stunned youngster. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Quickly recovering from the shock, Naruto smiled and nodded in return. "Y-You're welcome."

Mikoto's gaze lingered on the child for a moment, as she used her hand to cup his cheek and run through his spiky hair. "You are so much like him… like the both of them." While this quiet statement had the orphan blink in confusion, the woman then used that moment to turn to Tayuya and offer her gratitude to her as well. "And thank you as well, Tayuya-san. If it wasn't for you, I don't think any of us would be sitting here right now."

Blushing a little, the red haired flute user looked away bashfully. "That's okay. I… did my best."

As the trio had their moment, with Tama watching quietly from her spot on the bed, Hiruzen waited patiently on the sidelines. Once the woman had finished giving her share of thanks to the two brave children that had stopped Itachi's massacre short, the elder then saw the group turn their attention back to him, which then had him adjust the angle on his cap. "I've had the Jonin and ANBU forces along with the survivors from the Konoha Police Station cordon off the area around the district. The rest of the Uchiha Clan have also been brought to the Hokage Tower for their safety, and are being cared for as we speak. Hopefully by the end of this we'll be able to get some worthwhile information as to _why_ this actually happened."

Before any more words on the matter could be said, the group suddenly heard the curtain get pushed aside again. When everyone looked, they saw another old man enter the area; a frail looking individual with a walking stick, shaggy black hair, and the right side of his face all bandaged up. He also had an 'X' shaped scar on his chin. What's more, the man wore a white long-sleeved kimono-style shirt, with a dark grey robe over it concealing most of his body. Though he appeared harmless and weak, the man still emanated with a strong presence, which was something Naruto and Tayuya immediately took notice of.

The moment he entered their midst, the blond orphan saw the elderly stranger glance in his general direction and his one eye narrow into a momentary scowl. This sent a cold chill running up Naruto's back, as the boy sat on the bed clenching the sheet beneath him uncomfortably.

Once a second had passed, the old man with the cane turned away and focused his attention on the entire group, his expression softening somewhat. "Ah… so this is the room where the two young heroes from last night are being kept. I'm glad to see you're being well taken care of." He quickly turned his attention to Tayuya, who took a cautionary step back under his gaze. "You did _Konohagakure_ a big service last night; saving young Sasuke-kun and all the other Uchiha from Itachi's rampage. The village owes you a great debt of gratitude for your actions."

While the two and Mikoto looked at the newcomer with displeasure for varying reasons, Hiruzen was the most vocal with his disapproval at the man's presence. "Danzo… what are you doing here?"

The frail elder stared back at the Hokage calmly. "I just came by to check on the villagers who were brought into our hospital following last night's… _unfortunate_ events. As a member of the village council and officer in the shinobi forces, it is my duty to ensure that all the members of our community are kept safe and receive the best care available to them." The smile he gave at the end, though seemingly sincere, concealed a sense of smugness and deceit. "Surely you understand this much, Hokage-sama."

Naruto and Tayuya didn't buy his nice-guy act for a second, especially Mikoto, who was right now struggling with the urge to get up and throttle the man in front of her. After all, out of all the Konoha council members involved with the negotiations between the village and her husband, Danzo had been the one to speak out most against her family and her people. Not to mention he was the one who fueled the doubt and animosity amongst the other members of the council, which prevented any progressive talks of peace from being formalized. This much Fugaku told her.

As much as she wanted to get up and attack the man right then and there, through a great deal of self-control and will-power, Mikoto managed to contain her murderous urges, and simply sat there trembling on the spot.

Sensing the atmosphere in the room growing colder and more volatile by the second, Hiruzen wisely opted for a better course of action, facing his long-time 'friend and ally' with a harsh glare. "I need to speak with you… in private." He then ushered the man towards the room's door.

"Very well." Before Danzo could turn and leave however, he suddenly heard the sound of low growling filling the air and looked down at the bed. When he did he saw the little white vixen Tama standing on the covers, locked in a ready pouncing position and glaring angrily in his direction with her teeth bared. The sounds that she was making were matched by the swift, aggressive stance of her tail, which almost gave the indication she was about to jump up and attack the frail stranger.

The old war hawk remained where he was, glaring back at the fox snarling at him threateningly. Eventually though he broke eye contact with the mammal and walked out of the room, closely followed by the Third Hokage. When the pair left the room, Naruto, Tayuya and Mikoto then watched Tama hop off of the bed and follow them out too, with the trio not saying a word.

Marching a little ways down the corridor, Hiruzen stopped when they arrived at a dead spot in between the facility's various rooms. Sensing no one in any of the adjacent chambers or wandering anywhere close by, the village leader watched his comrade in arms also stop a little further ahead of him, before turning around to face him.

From the expressions they were currently wearing, it was obvious a lot of things needed to be said.

"What seems to be troubling you, Hokage-sama?" Danzo asked collectedly, in a tone feigning ignorance.

"A great many things, as I'm sure you're aware," the Hokage retorted angrily, his expression scrunched up and reflecting nothing but disappointment and outrage. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, Danzo? What you did last night… ordering Itachi Uchiha to attack his people, to slaughter innocent men, women and children in their beds, and nearly wipe out an entire clan in a single stroke… it is unspeakable."

Danzo's expression then hardened when he sensed the intensity in the village's leader and heard his words. "The tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha have been growing rapidly over the last several months; to the point that a confrontation between them and us was inevitable. While you tried to stall and play the nice game, I wanted to try and resolve this issue as quickly and quietly as possible, so as to avoid a catastrophe that would've undoubtedly sent us spiraling into a civil war… possibly even a world war-"

"And your solution was to have one of our agents enter his clan's district and butcher every single one of his kin until there was no one left to oppose us?" Hiruzen asked, silencing Danzo's explanations and causing his own mood to worsen. "What would such a horrendous action have accomplished?"

"I'll tell you what. _Peace_ … and the preservation of all that Konoha stands for; power, security and prosperity. My orders to Itachi probably saved the lives of hundreds- if not _thousands_ \- of our fellow villagers that would've in all likelihood, become caught in the crossfire had the situation escalated any further." The one-eyed man then held up his stick and pointed it towards the nearby window. "The entire incident was contained within the Uchiha district's walls. Now that most of their fighting force has been eliminated, they no longer have the strength to carry out their coup. Their rebellion has successfully been pacified with zero causalities."

Hiruzen gritted his teeth. "Zero casualties? Are you telling me that this near genocide classifies as some sort of a success?" He then jabbed a finger down the hallway. "I've been walking up and down those streets since midnight, Danzo. There are hundreds of innocent people lying dead on the roads and dozens of injured lying in these hospital beds! And this incident was far from being contained. There are civilians from outside the clan lying in those beds too!"

Danzo's eyes narrowed irately. "I have no idea why the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi or that stupid girl were doing there in the first place. That boy is an important asset to our village and a valuable resource we cannot afford to lose. Both of them should've been locked down in the orphanage."

"Call it a stroke of good fortune then, because thanks to those two youngsters they single-handedly managed to stop the Uchiha clan from being permanently erased from existence," Hiruzen replied while bringing his hand back behind him and staring hard at his friend. "What you did was murder, Danzo-"

"For the greater good, Hiruzen," Danzo shot back, his own anger and frustration coming into play as he looked his leader in the eye. He then stomped his cane into the floor with a loud 'tap'. "I warned you time and time again that the Uchiha were heading down the warpath… that they were threatening the very balance of peace and stability in our nation. But you refused to listen to me. So I had to act-"

"By taking matters into your own hands and condemning an entire people to the history books?" Hiruzen asked, gritting his teeth as their confrontation in the hall was growing dangerously close to a shinobi slugfest. "They were our people, Danzo! Citizens of _Konoha_ and allies who we'd fought alongside with for decades! They were our comrades!"

"Comrades who were going to turn on us! Every single one of them!" Danzo shot back, stepping forward and getting right into the Hokage's face. His eye locked dangerously with his old comrade. "Itachi said so himself. He told us of what was coming and what his family and clansmen were planning to do. Their quest of attaining a greater role in our social hierarchy translated into ideology, which transformed into a rebellion that would've torn down everything we'd built over the last hundred years. There is no solution or cure for extremist ideals. When an infection becomes too great to heal, you incise it before it spreads and becomes a cancer-"

"So that's it? To you the Uchiha were some sort of infection? A cancer?" Hiruzen sneered, his own anger reaching a point as he glared back at his friend. "Is that how we're referring to our own people now? Body parts just waiting to be cut off if they start misbehaving or getting sick?"

"I did what I thought was right," Danzo hissed.

"Well, what you did was wrong," Hiruzen said back, silencing the man with a quieter tone when they realized they were getting a little loud. "You acted without the approval of the Hokage or the full support of the village council. As a result, your actions have not only led to the near destruction of one of Konoha's founding clans, but jeopardized the safety and wellbeing of the rest of the village. Furthermore, your blatant disregard of proper political procedure has also damaged our standing and credibility in the world, showing every other nation out there that we are unable to govern our own people fairly and protect them." The pair then stood glaring one another for the longest pause in their conversation, with both men holding their ground and refusing to back down. After which the old Hokage inhaled deeply and composed himself. "As such, it is by my authority as the current Hokage that your organization ROOT be disbanded, and your position on the council and authority in the shinobi forces be retracted, effective immediately."

Danzo's gaze couldn't have flared more after he heard this, his grip on his cane tightening and his intensity increasing. These subtle muscle movements caused Hiruzen's eye to twitch, as the village leader subtly flicked his wrist behind his back and drew a kunai. If this situation came to blows then he had to be the one to make the first move.

However, after staring one another down for another few seconds, the pair suddenly heard a door further down open and a young nurse step out of the room. Nose buried in a notepad, the woman walked right by the two men, nodding and greeting both individuals courteously, before disappearing round the corner. This interference was enough to settle the two elders, with Danzo stepping away from the Hokage.

The old war hawk grunted, "If that is what our village leader thinks is best, then so be it." Cane supporting him, the man then turned and headed off, walking down the corridor at a casual pace. "Good day, Hiruzen."

Seeing Danzo shuffle out of earshot, the Third Hokage sighed and retracted his kunai.

Unbeknownst to both individuals, as the old councilman ambled down the corridor and Hiruzen remained in place, the two were being closely watched by the little vixen Tama, whose head was poking around the corner several doors behind the Hokage. Upon watching the confrontation for herself, the white fox frowned deeply, before darting out of view once more…

OOO

Back in the hospital room, the still bedridden Naruto, a chipper Tayuya, and Mikoto were sharing an enlightening conversation with one another. While Hiruzen was having his talk with his friend in another part of the hospital and Tama had once again excused herself from the space at her own volition, the two kids chatted about a whole bunch of stuff relating to training, fighting, and collating the events that'd taken place last night. Though one of them had ended up more beaten up than the other, he was still remarkably more energetic than normal.

"Seriously. You should definitely start training with me as soon as we get out," Naruto said, sitting right up in his bed with his hands on his lap and a million-dollar grin on his face.

Arms crossed, the red-haired girl sitting on the mattress next to the boy smirked, "And what makes you think I want to start training with you?"

"Well, for one, you'll be able to get crazy strong and learn how to defend yourself against creeps that are threatening you," Naruto informed off of the top of his head. He then gave her another look that said he was excited about the ideas that were now pouring into his head. "You'll also be able to improve your flute playing skills and your genjutsu. After what you did last night to that Itachi guy, I bet you can grow up to become an amazing ninja, Tayuya-chan."

This interaction had Mikoto smile slightly, as she sat alongside and listened to the pair with interest.

Fighting down the urge to blush brightly, Tayuya took a deep breath, reached over, picked up his pillow and hit him in the side of the head with it. When the blond snickered and blocked her playful attacks, the orphan redhead beamed. "You're not messing with me, are you?"

"Never," Naruto replied, at the same time smiling at her. "Not unless you want me to." When he saw the girl pause to think for a moment, the orphan then leant forward and nudged her in the side of her arm. "If you do start training now, you'll be able to graduate and become a Genin with me. Maybe we can be put on the same team together, if we're lucky."

Nodding, Tayuya then leaned back with the pillow in her lap. After a moment of careful meditation, she spoke. "You know what… I think I will start training with you." She then fought down a blush and looked away. "N-Not so that I can hang out with you more or anything like that. I just want to get strong too."

His grin resurfacing, the jinchuriki then rocked back and forth happily, "My training is tough… but I know you're going to love it after the first two weeks." After trading smiles with the girl sitting next to him, the boy's expression suddenly shifted and his gaze refocused. Looking down at his bed when memories of last night flooded back to him, the blond then murmured, "Why…?"

"Hm?" Tayuya tilted her head, "Why what?"

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Mikoto asked, at the same time regarding the boy with concern.

Naruto then looked back up at the pair in confusion, "When I got hit by Itachi's genjutsu… I saw a whole bunch of stuff… stuff that I don't remember ever seeing before, but they were happening all around me. It was like I was living in a nightmare. I saw the Kyuubi attacking _Konohagakure_ … I saw dead people lying all over the village… I saw myself as a baby… and I saw…" He then looked across at the table next to him, where he saw his pendant sitting on top of a folded up towel. "My lucky charm." Staring at it for a moment, he then reached over and picked it up.

Studying the necklace she often saw Naruto wearing, Tayuya then looked up at her friend inquisitively, "I've been meaning to ask you about that. How long have you been wearing that pendant?" The only times she ever saw him without it was the few nights he took it off before going to bed or having a bath. Other than that, he never left the house without it.

"I've had it for as long as I can remember," Naruto replied, staring down at the red gem with the whirlpool symbol sitting in his hand. "Hokage-jiji said it was an heirloom left to me by my parents before they died. Apparently I was found lying with it in my crib and I've been carrying it around ever since."

"That long, huh?" Nodding in understand, Tayuya then tilted her head at it. "Do you… remember your parents? Who they were or what they looked like?"

"No. They died on the day that I was born." This answer immediately had the redhead regret asking him that question. But from the unchanging look of confusion on his face, Naruto didn't seem to be too affected by it. Still, Tayuya couldn't help but feel really bad. "I tried asking people about them, but everyone I spoke to either doesn't know or they won't say anything. I even tried asking Hokage-jiji."

"And?"

"He said that he couldn't tell me and that it wasn't his place," Naruto replied in a disheartened manner before then looking up at the girl next to him with a soft smile. "But he did say that they loved me… so I guess that's a good thing."

"They loved you more than you or I could ever know."

Looking over, the two saw Mikoto staring at them intently, with an expression of seriousness and sadness in play. Upon seeing the kids glance in her direction, the woman took a steady breath and then smiled warmly.

"I knew your parents, Naruto-kun," the Uchiha mother continued as she felt the two youngsters looking at her quietly. "In fact… the entire village knew who they were, and they still do today. The only reason no one has ever said anything about them is that they either don't know that you are their son or Hiruzen ordered those who did know to keep it a secret… for your own safety." When she saw the looks of confusion appear on the youngsters' faces, she then lowered her head. "Only a few people in Konoha know who your parents really are. If you want to know more about them… I'll be happy to tell you. All you have to do is ask. But you both have to promise to keep this a secret."

Swallowing nervously, the spiky haired blond nodded affirmatively. "My mum and dad… who were they? What were their names?"

Mikoto beamed brightly. "Your mother was named Kushina Uzumaki; who was my classmate, teammate and childhood friend." Closing her eyes, the woman then began recalling all of her memories of the woman as best as she could. "She was a remarkable woman, a gifted martial artist and a superb kunoichi, with her abilities as a fuinjutsu specialist making her one of the strongest ninja in this village. She was also the kindest and most headstrong girl that I'd ever met." Taking a deep breath to keep herself emotionally still, the Uchiha continued. "Her family came from one of the most powerful clans of the previous era, the _Uzumaki Clan_ , who were best known for their incredible vitality and unmatched sealing techniques. They were practically masters of the arts, and were both respected and feared across the mainland for their abilities. However, when their village of _Uzushiogakure_ was destroyed by Fuma Kotaro, the survivors migrated and scattered across the planet. That was how your mother ended up here."

Taking in this information, Naruto nodded in understanding. "So does that mean that I may not be the only Uzumaki in this village?"

Mikoto answered this with a smile, "Perhaps. There might be a few members of your clan hiding amongst the people… maybe in other villages outside of _Konohagakure_. Since members of your mother's clan are born with bright red hair, it shouldn't be too difficult to miss them." When she sensed Naruto make a mental note to look out for people with red hair on the streets, the blind woman then glanced across the room and continued to speak. "As for your father, well… you're probably already familiar with his face. After all, you can see him looking down at the village from the _Hokage Monument_ every single day."

This news had Naruto and Tayuya's stop and stare at her for a moment. After several moments of confused silence, the pair's eyes then widened and the whisker-marked child then spoke with a stammer. "Y-Y-You mean that… my dad was-"

"Yes. The Fourth Hokage… Minato Namikaze," Mikoto answered, sensing both Naruto and Tayuya look at each other in astonishment. Waiting a moment for the shock to pass through their systems, the former kunoichi then continued to speak. "He was one of the most gifted shinobi in Konoha's history and, during his lifetime, was regarded as the strongest shinobi in _Konohagakure_ and the mainland. His combat skills and physical prowess were so great that it was said that he easily surpassed the three Sannin, as well as the First and Second Hokage in ability. Having fought many times alongside him, I knew this fact to be true." Her explanations earning awed looks from both children, a giggle then left the woman's lips. "Though your father was touted as the strongest shinobi in the world, he, Kushina, Fugaku and I were constantly feuding with each other for that spot. In our youth we would frequently fight and challenge each other for that position, but by the end all four of us were tied for first place."

Hearing Mikoto say this put a big smile on Naruto's face, "I can tell you were really good friends with them." When he saw Mikoto nod and rest her hands in her lap, the blonde's smile then faded, as he then looked ahead of him thoughtfully. "Ever since I learned about the Fourth Hokage in school and heard about all the amazing things he did, he became one of my biggest heroes. I wanted to grow up to become a strong ninja like him… to become even greater than all the other Hokage… and after all this time I never even knew he was my dad." In saying this the child then felt a great swell of sadness fill his chest. Gripping the sheets in front of him tightly, the blond then glanced up at the woman sitting nearby with a look of question and hurt. "Why didn't anyone tell me about them before?"

"It's like I said; to keep you safe." Her own smile fading, Mikoto focused all of her attention on the child lying on the bed in front of her. "Your father made a lot of enemies in his life as _Konoha's Yellow Flash_. In fact, he became so feared that the other villages were given flee on sight orders if they ever caught a glimpse of him on the battlefield." Her expression stayed serious as she continued to speak with the blond. "If the other nations found out that you were Minato's son, they wouldn't hesitate to either kidnap or send people out to kill you. That's why Hiruzen instructed everyone who did know to keep it quiet and the information of your birth on a strictly need-to-know basis."

Understanding this much, Naruto then brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Seeing the saddened look that came across his face prompted Tayuya to walk over to him and sit down beside the boy. Seeing him shaking a little as he tried to hide his true feelings, the reddish-pink haired girl's expression quickly became one of affection and sympathy, as she reached over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Why did they leave me? Didn't they… didn't they want me?"

His question quickly prompted Mikoto to reach over and pull him into her grip. Gently wrapping her arms around his body in a comforting hug, the Uchiha kunoichi smiled and ran her hand through his hair soothingly.

"Your parents wanted to be with you more than anything else in the world," Mikoto said with her soft voice as she rocked the boy gently on the spot while he leaned into her shoulder. She could feel his composure slowly break and tears start rolling down his face as quiet sobs and whimpers left the eight year old. Tayuya remained where she was as well, a sad smile on her face and eyes shimmering warmly. "When your father found out that your mother was pregnant with you, I couldn't remember the last time I saw the two of them so happy… your mother especially. She wanted to bring you into this world, raise you and watch you grow up to become a great person someday. It was their dream." Feeling the boy's arm reach up to hug her tightly, the woman then rubbed his back comfortingly. "Trust me, Naruto-kun... they loved you. Minato and Kushina loved you so much that they would've given anything and everything that they had to be with you and to raise you. But… bad things happened… and the best that they could do was make sure that you lived to grow up as safely and happily as you could."

For the next couple of minutes Mikoto sat there, holding Naruto as he cried into her shoulder and got his strain of emotions out of his system. Tayuya also sat close by, giving her friend emotional support and comforting pats on the back as he slowly but surely recovered.

Soon, after he was done getting all his tears out of the way and felt the warmth of relief grip his chest, the blond wiped his eyes, looked up from Mikoto's shoulder and gazed curiously at her. "C-Can you tell me… what happened to them?"

Blinking, the dark haired woman in the kimono and sandals then rested back against the back board and, thinking on it for a moment, looked at the child with a firm expression. "You might not like what I have to say. But if you're willing to listen, I can tell you. But you have to promise me that you'll keep this a secret… every word that I've said and every word that I'm about to say. Both of you." When she saw Naruto and Tayuya nod firmly, the woman sighed and pulled away. "Okay… well… eight years ago…"

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Silence was all Naruto responded with as he sat there, staring at Mikoto after she'd finished telling him everything. Even Tayuya had a stunned look on her face as she looked across at the Uchiha mother sitting quietly on the bed.

After his brain finally processed all of the information she'd shared with him, the blond shook his head and looked down at himself. "I'm… the jinchuriki… of the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Mikoto nodded, "Yes."

"So… that's why everyone has been avoiding me… treating me like I'm some kind of monster…" He then reached up and placed a hand over his stomach, which he stared at momentarily. "Because I have a giant demon inside of me."

It was then Mikoto's eyes narrowed. "That's what everyone believes anyway." Sensing the children turn back to stare at her in confusion, the mother crossed her arms over her chest. "For some reason that no one could explain, when the Hokage and everyone found you, they discovered that the Nine-Tail Fox had just… _disappeared_."

This news suddenly had Naruto blink. "Disappeared? What does that mean?"

"As in _poof_. Gone. Vanished without a trace," Mikoto elaborated, holding her hands out for illustrative purposes but then bringing them back in with a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm one of the only people who knows about this… being Kushina's best friend and the one person Hiruzen trusted with this information. While everyone who was there that day saw the Fourth Hokage seal the demon inside of you, when the Third and his people did a scan of your body afterwards, they couldn't find a single sliver of the fox or its chakra. It was almost like… it'd been spirited away somehow. I don't really know how to explain it."

Taking in this information for what it was worth, Tayuya then narrowed her eyes and spoke, "So then… neither the Hokage nor anybody else in the village knows where the heck that big ball of fluff has gotten to? They just think it's somewhere inside Naruto?" She saw the woman nod affirmatively. "So that means that for the past eight years, the villagers have been hating and pushing Naruto-kun away for no reason at all."

All Mikoto could do was respond to the redhead's exclamations in kind, which immediately had the blond take on a more crestfallen look while Tayuya continued looking outraged.

After a moment, the Uchiha turned to Naruto and spoke again. "The Third Hokage thought it was best to keep to the story that the Nine Tails was successfully sealed inside of you following its rampage, and that its actual disappearance be kept under wraps." When she noticed the severe looks on the pair's faces, Mikoto continued speaking with a serious tone. "Each of the nine biju represent symbols of power and stability between the five great shinobi villages. If even a single one of them were to suddenly be reported missing, the other nations would view that as a sign of weakness and attack. But by keeping to the status quo and spreading the news that you are the new host of the Kyuubi, your presence has been able to keep the village safe from strife and at peace… such is one of the many burdens a person carrying a tailed beast must bear."

Considering Mikoto's words of reason, Naruto turned and smiled slightly. "I guess I can be cool with that. I mean… the last thing I want is to see my home village get invaded and destroyed by another one." His expression then turned angry and he shot his gaze back towards the mother. "How come no one told me about any of this?" That he was the son of the Fourth Hokage and was supposedly carrying something equivalent to a bomb wherever he went.

Mikoto sighed, "Seeing as how heavy and complicated the circumstances were, the Hokage thought it was better to wait a few years until you were old enough to know the truth. By that time you would've grown up into someone who was strong and responsible enough to carry the burden of knowledge. Though the villagers feared the Kyuubi for what it was, Hiruzen did everything he could to convince the people that you weren't dangerous and that you were to be treated fairly… as a hero. But like all communities, individual people can be easily swayed by the sins and stigmas of the many, and instead they ended up showering you with hatred and scorn, where there really wasn't any reason for it." When she sensed the disappointment overcome Naruto, the kunoichi frowned. "Even knowing that you were made the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails earlier, do you think you would've been able to do anything about it?"

"Yes. I mean… _maybe_ ," Naruto shot back, scrunching the sheets of his bed between his fingers and looking down with a growl. "I… I don't know…"

Sensing his uncertainty, his fear, and his sadness, the concerned and studious Mikoto than reached over and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's alright. Whether or not you would've done something, it doesn't matter. The past is the past… and no one can change it." Seeing the boy glance up at her, the Uchiha continued. "I knew your father well, Naruto… and I know he wouldn't have chosen you to carry the Nine Tails if he didn't have a good reason. Whatever he did… he did it because he believed in you… and trusted you to make things right." She then reached over and clutched the hand that Naruto was using to hold his pendant. After which she then took the pendant from him and, unfurling it, wrapped it around his neck. The blond looked at her as she did so. "Your parents gave their lives to protect you and this village, and to make sure that you had a future… so don't let any of their sacrifice go to waste."

As he looked across at Mikoto, seeing her warm smile reflected on her face and her charcoal eyes staring at him, Naruto then swallowed nervously and dipped his head. "Is that everything?"

Mikoto replied with a smile, "Everything that I know."

All of this information was obviously big. Not to mention heavy. Considering how much needed to be said, Naruto actually saw why none of this was told to him before. Everything Mikoto had said to him had to be extremely confidential and vital in maintaining peace inside the village. Had any of this gotten out at any point in the past, it could've sparked chaos and complications the likes of which a delinquent like himself couldn't possibly fathom.

The fact that Mikoto, a woman he barely even knew but had obviously been close to his parents, had told him all of this, meant that she trusted him to keep this information secret and viewed him as someone responsible to carry this burden as well. Honestly, it was quite a big set of shoes to fill.

Even Tayuya was overwhelmed by this info, and she was just an outsider in all of this.

After rolling his shoulders and looking down at the orange-red pendant hanging around his neck, the young street fighter cracked a smile and nodded. "I want to do right by them… for mum and dad." He then looked over at Tayuya, who he saw was smiling warmly at him. "I'll keep training and studying hard… live a good life filled with adventure and excitement… and along the way, maybe I'll do some amazing things as well, just like _they_ did." At that moment the redhead next to him shuffled over and gave him a hug, which had the boy chuckle and return her gesture in kind.

While burying her face into the boy's shoulder, the tear strung Tayuya grinned. "You're a cheesy idiot, Naruto-kun." She said in an affectionate and endearing manner.

Naruto chuckled, at the same time putting on a strong face, "Yeah. I know."

The sight had Mikoto chuckle, as she sat there and watched the pair separate moments later. During which time her thoughts and memories wandered back to her two friends, who she could still remember clearly in her head.

" _Minato… Kushina… though I'm not sure what I did was right or not… telling your son all of this… I know he won't let you down,"_ the Uchiha mother thought, at the same time clutching her hands tightly and nodding affirmatively to herself. _"I can see both of you in him… not just your strength… but your righteous spirits and sense of goodness too. So I swear, even with everything that has happened so far… I'll stay strong… and do my best to make things right by you."_

OOO

(Later that night)

Once she was done, the still shaken-up but relatively okay Mikoto left Naruto and Tayuya to their own devices and returned to her son, who was still resting in a bed several rooms away. This allowed the two youngsters time to reflect on the information given to them, as well as make plans for their respective futures. Over the course of the day to follow they received a couple more visits from the nurses and the one doctor charged with taking care of all those who'd been injured in last night's tragedy. During which time they also learned that the survivors, particularly Sasuke, were doing well and were going to pull through, which did well in easing their consciences.

Night eventually came around for the two kids and, when Tama didn't return from her walk for lunch or dinner for whatever reasons, the pair decided to hit the hay. The flute player took the space on the mattress next to the blond while Naruto shuffled over, and the pair fell asleep in the cubicle. When the nurse came by to check on them later onwards, she was presented with the adorable sight of the pair sleeping peacefully next to one another and, against basic procedure, didn't wake the girl to move her, and simply let them be.

With everything wrapped up the way they had, it seemed to be the end to another taxing and extraordinary day.

However, the night was only just getting started for one particular individual.

Deep underground in an area outside of the village center, in a facility out of sight of the rest of the village, the frail figure of Danzo could be seen wandering a dark, lantern lit corridor surrounded by empty concrete, stone walls. His clacking cane echoing through the tunnel with every step he made, the man in bandages eventually stopped in front of a door at the end of the concrete channel, which was being guarded by two hooded individuals in ANBU masks.

However, being the institute that this was, these men were not members of the main branch of the black op military. This was made evident by how the one-eyed war hawk spoke to them next. "Have a squad ready to move on the hospital. We need to collect those Sharingan as soon as the medical crew have finished counting up the deceased Uchiha."

"Yes, sir," the man in the mask replied with a bow before vanishing in a _shunshin_.

Once he was gone, Danzo slipped in through the door and into the office. It was a large, circular, concrete room with roots growing down from the ceiling, with various scrolls hanging off of the walls, half a dozen lamps lit, and a single wooden desk in the center of the floor space, with a large office chair rolled up behind it. Making his way over to the large oak centerpiece, the former village councilman sat down at his work station and immediately pulled out several sets of documents from the drawer beneath him. From which he immediately opened two scrolls and started reading from them.

For the next few minutes Danzo sat there in silence, pouring himself a glass of water from the nearby jug, scanning his sheets, and at the same time mulling over the events that'd transpired over the last twenty-four hours.

Everything leading up to Itachi's attack on the Uchiha Clan district had been going so smoothly. When the young man started his attack on the neighborhood without resistance, clearing one household after the other, everything was going exactly as Danzo had planned. This much he got from his reports from the ROOT shinobi he had stationed at various points around the perimeter. But then suddenly, out of nowhere, the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi suddenly showed up with some unknown girl, and threw a wrench into the entire operation.

Now, not only did they have approximately a hundred Uchiha survivors from last night, but Sasuke was also still alive and so was his blasted mother, the latter of who was touted as the strongest Uchiha alongside Fugaku. The fact that she was still alive further meant that acquiring Sharingan for study from the Uchiha corpses being hauled off the streets was not going to be an easy task, as the morgue had surviving members of the clan still alive that could cross-check the bodies for any signs of tampering.

If that wasn't enough, not only had Hiruzen kicked him off the council, but Itachi had also decided to pay him a little visit, warning him to stay away from his family lest he spill top secret information of Konoha and ROOT to their enemies.

All this caused the leader of the underground black ops division to grit his teeth and slam a fist into the surface of his desk angrily. The act of which caused the entire table to rattle and for one of his scrolls to fall off the station. _"Damn that Itachi… and damn that Hiruzen. I may have my work cut out for me, but I promise them, even if it takes me another decade, I will-"_ Before he could finish his frustrated internal rant, Danzo suddenly heard the sounds of commotion outside his door and looked up.

Staring at the entrance to his secret office for a moment, the stern-faced leader of ROOT extended his senses to see if he could deduce what the trouble was. When he heard two simultaneous screams followed by the clattering of swords on the floor on the other side of the entrance, the elder then secretly drew a kunai from his robe and narrowed his gaze on the door.

"Who's there?"

A few seconds later, the entrance to his office creaked open, and at first Danzo was a little stumped. Seeing nothing and nobody standing in the archway, he then craned his head over his desk and looked down at the floor, where he saw the distinct form of a little white fox stroll into view. As soon as she appeared, the vixen narrowed her glowing yellow eyes on the frail old man positioned behind the office station, who couldn't help but crinkle his brow in confusion.

"Wait… aren't you the-?" It didn't take him long to recognize the animal as the same one that'd been with Naruto in the hospital, sitting on his bed alongside that red haired girl and Mikoto. This memory alone had the elder glare at the creature suspiciously and grip his kunai tighter. "Though I have no idea how you followed me all the way down here, I assure you that coming here was a big mistake."

Tama at first responded with nothing, swishing her tail behind her casually as she stared fiercely at the old man. Eventually, after several moments of tense silence, the little vixen walked into the room without invitation, before suddenly producing the same blue ball of fire on the end of her tail. This sphere, pulsating brightly with purpose, then suddenly expanded to engulf her entire body, which went up in a raging blue inferno that reached about seven feet into the air. The sight of the combusting creature surprised Danzo, whose eye squinted when the flash of fire expanded and filled the entire room with a cool glow.

Eventually the flames around the fox dissipated and when the man looked back at the spot where the fox had been, he stood up out of his chair in shock.

Standing in the dim light of his office was a woman; one of average height with a voluptuous, hourglass figure, enticingly long legs, dark brown skin, and a beautiful face with sharp yellow irises, and a mole under her right eye. To round out her attractive physical physique and form, the woman also had short white, messy hair and sharp white eyebrows. However, in addition to having normal human ears, she also had a pair of foxlike ears protruding from her hair, and a long white fluffy tail waving behind her.

It should also be noted that the woman was completely naked and, despite her appearance, was now staring the shocked Danzo down with a harsh and intimidating glare.

At first overwhelmed by the sight and the sudden transformation of the vixen, the war hawk then gritted his teeth and produced two more kunai to join the one he had hidden behind him. "W-What the heck… who are you…?"

Tail thrashing about a couple of times, the naked, dark-skinned woman then growled in a very wolfish manner. "You harmed my mate."

Eye widening, Danzo quickly thrust his one arm out and threw his four kunai at the woman, which multiplied into ten midflight. Remaining as composed as she could be at the moment, the transformed Tama swung her tail around and swatted the knives out of the air, sending them clattering to the floor.

The alarmed elder then brought his other arm out from inside his robe and slapped his hands together. Taking aim, Danzo flew through four hand seals in a blur before sharply sucking in air. _**"Futon: Shinkuha!"**_ (Wind Release: Vacuum Wave) His cheeks then puffed up before he leant forward-

Only for the naked woman in front of him to suddenly dart forward in a flicker and slam a hand over his lips. The resulting effect was instantaneous, as the jutsu Danzo was firing went off prematurely inside his own mouth. The wind, unable to escape anywhere else, shot out of his bloated cheeks and shredded the inside of his jaw cavity, sending blood splattering all over the desk and the woman's hand.

When she released him a split second later, Danzo stumbled backwards into his chair with a cry of agony, as teeth and blood dribbling from his mangled lips. Before he could even begin recovering from the devastating misfire, his throat was then grabbed and his body slammed violently into the back wall of his office, where he ended up pinned against the cracked concrete. The instant a gasp of shock left his lips, the woman in front of him suddenly drew back her free hand, extended her digits, and thrust them forward in a lightning fast jab.

"Not yours."

A sickening squelching sound then filled the room along with another spurt of blood as Tama slipped her fingers beneath Danzo's bandages on his face, and ripped the eye he had concealed from underneath it. This drew another cry of pain from the old man as the naked woman then glanced down at the red eyeball now sitting comfortably in her palm. Narrowing her gaze on the Sharingan, the transformed woman then turned and dropped the freshly ripped organ into the glass of water on the desk, before once again turning her attention to the elder she was now throttling a foot above the ground.

Managing one last gasp of shock, the elder used that opportunity to swiftly draw another kunai from his sleeve and thrust it down at the transformed Tama's neck, its blade becoming encased in wind chakra.

Reacting quickly, the naked fox-girl caught the man's wrist and twisted it, snapping the bone and causing the elder to drop his blade. Catching it with her tail, the woman then pushed his hand against the wall, before using her fluffy appendage holding the knife to nail his palm to the concrete. The result had the Konoha elder now hanging helplessly in her grip, bleeding from multiple places and unable to muster any kind of defense.

After a moment of foreboding silence, the naked fox girl sneered. "Now you can't use any jutsu to escape." Tama then tilted her head and frowned deeply at the old, exhausted man in front of her. "My Naruto-kun is not some tool to be used or manipulated… nor is he yours to do with as you please. Because of your evil actions… I will now make you pay for all the lives you've taken today… and all the lives you've ruined everywhere else."

Choking on blood, the wounded Danzo then coughed out his last words, "W-What… the hell… are you?"

All of a sudden, the woman suddenly grabbed both sides of Danzo's head and proceeded to begin applying pressure from two directions. The sounds of bones and muscles creaking began echoing throughout the room, along with the old man's strangled cries of agony as his brain was slowly and painfully crushed underneath the force the fox woman was now applying to him.

In a matter of moments, blood started dribbling out of the man's remaining intact orifices, as Tama, through a calm yet serious expression, then gave the elder her answer.

"My name is Tamamo no Mae… the guardian of Genno Temple and Naruto-kun's friend."

A loud, bone-chilling splat then echoed throughout the underground chamber as Danzo's head was effectively crushed; blood and bone exploding over the wall and floor behind him. When little Tama eventually released what was left of him seconds later, the elder's body then dangled precariously over the floor from the hand impaled in the wall, creating a scene of absolute, bloody carnage.

Blood dripping down her own face from the splash-back, Tama then reached up with her hand and wiped it away. Upon which she then took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of blue fire, which engulfed Danzo's remains and slowly incinerated them.

As the flames began to overtake the entire office, the naked woman quickly reverted back to her original, tiny fox form. Collecting the eyeball floating in the glass of water on the desk carefully in her jaws, the little mammal then bounded out of the office and into the corridor. Moving through the hallway of the bunker, the mammal passed by many more bodies, all of them dressed in ROOT uniforms and masks, and all of whom were lying dead and beaten all over the place.

Needless to say, this had been a very active day for Tama.

XXX

(The next morning)

(Uchiha Clan Compound)

Back in the district where the events of that night had taken place, there was a considerable row over in the main Uchiha branch household. Inside the two-story structure sitting in the middle of the large estate, in an enclosed, curtained up room lit by only a handful of candles, a group of over a dozen Uchiha men and women, all dressed in Jonin uniforms, were gathered around a large, rectangular table with their clan symbol etched into its center. With a lantern hanging directly overhead, every single one of their faces were illuminated, showing just how intent and serious each of them were in that very moment.

As the fires burned, the entire room was in an uproar of discussion, as the survivors of the previous night's massacre were frantically talking about what they were going to do. With the death of Fugaku and a majority of their fighting force, those who'd been involved with the upcoming coup were now baffled over what they were going to do.

At the moment, everyone was yelling at one another in a scene taken straight out of parliament. Some were shouting about how 'this was all Konoha's fault' and that 'they should strike now while they still had the chance'; all of whom were accusing the village of masterminding this attempted genocide. But another part of the room protested against this, saying that 'this plan was doomed from the start', 'they had it coming' or 'we should just let it go'. Only a few of these things stood out amidst the chaotic party that was now taking place, where those that'd managed to come out ahead in the attack were trying to find a reasonable solution to their debacle.

It was then, as the volume of their argument started to grow, the woman standing at the head of the table, Mikoto, dressed in her Jonin uniform, raised a hand and slammed it onto the wooden surface. Rattling the entire furniture, she effectively silenced the room, with her words putting an end to those voices that lingered. "ENOUGH!" Her charcoal eyes piercing the area, the serious-looking woman then looked around at the shinobi gathered in front of her. "Now… before we move on to anything else… I want to hear what the remaining heads of the branch families have to say."

There being only a few, those who had clout in the room quickly stepped into the limelight, with the first to speak up being a tall man with silver hair, a scar across his face, and wearing an ANBU uniform.

"Thanks to Itachi's attack, our forces have been whittled down to only a fraction of what they used to be. Most of our strongest members were wiped out by him in the first few hours-"

"And I'm telling you, it wasn't _just_ Itachi!" a man shouted from the other side of the table; who turned out to be the same Jonin male who'd been at the police station the night of the massacre. From the look of fear reflected on his face, the officer had a great stake to say in this matter. "There was a second member of our clan involved in this attack; a man wearing an old Hakiri war mask with a single eyehole and a black flame pattern in it. He also had long, black spiky hair and the Sharingan-"

"So you keep telling us," the silver haired ANBU member spoke with a scoff. "Not to mention you also say that he was able to faze through every single attack you threw at him… and that this 'mysterious, Bloody-Mary, ghost of an assassin' was able to wipe out ninety percent of the Jonin stationed inside the police headquarters."

"It's true," the female Uchiha Jonin next to her male counterpart also spoke, with an expression conveying seriousness and nervousness. "He was ruthless, thorough, and freakishly powerful. We barely managed to make it out of there alive." She then swallowed as she looked around at her friends and colleagues stationed around the table. "Whoever he was… _or whatever he was_ … I think he was working with Itachi."

"What are you talking about? Of course he was," her male companion spoke up while looking down at her. "There was no way Itachi could've taken on the entire clan by himself. Even he's not _that_ good."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Because not only is Fugaku gone, but so is a great deal of our active shinobi force," the silver haired man spoke up again, who quickly unfolded his arms and slapped both hands down on the table. He then breathed out and glanced up at Mikoto, who he could see was still glaring at him from her spot in the conference. "After everything that has gone on in the last month, I have every reason to suspect that your eldest son was working with Konoha's higher ups on this… and that _he_ was the one that informed them of the coming rebellion."

"If Itachi really did that... then wouldn't all of us be dead right now?" another voice suddenly spoke up from the crowd. "I mean, think about it. Our clan made up only fifteen percent of the entire village, second to the Hyuuga, the Sarutobi, and the Nara. Hokage-sama was in open conference with Fugaku-san the entire period, discussing terms in which to resolve our feud and come to some sort of mutual agreement. If the Konoha council had really learned of our coming coup, they would've sent their entire military force crashing down on top of us... and wiped us out in an instant."

The silver haired ANBU's eyes snapped to the speaker. "And they damn near did too, by sending Itachi to murder all of us in our sleep."

It was then a woman spoke up. "There was no way Itachi was working for Konoha."

"Yeah. That kid was attacking both _our_ clan members and the shinobi from other families, both in the administration building and out on the streets. Believe me, I saw it myself," another male Jonin with brown spiky hair said from the corner of the table. Hands on his hips, the scruffy, cool-looking male nodded across to his silver haired brother in arms. "That boy was growing paranoid and disillusioned with everything around him… to the point you couldn't even approach him to ask for a simple set of directions without being scolded or assaulted. Inoichi said that it was probably the pressure from all the S-rank missions the village had been sending him on. He was bound to snap eventually."

"Do you seriously buy that bullshit story?" the scar-faced ANBU asked.

The Jonin with brown hair shrugged, "I certainly believe it more than the one saying that 'the Hokage' personally and without hesitation ordered him to attack his own people, as you are so blatantly suggesting, Tetsuo. Hiruzen is a kind and reasonable man, who wouldn't even think about attacking a fellow villager without good reason… and even then he would use non-violent, non-aggressive means of doing so. There is absolutely _no way_ he would've sent Itachi in to attack and massacre his own clan. If he did that, then he wouldn't have even been considered for the position of village leader at all."

"So… what? Are you saying that you're willing to let this attack on our people go unpunished and without blame?" the ANBU named Tetsuo asked, at the same time stirring up a chorus of support from half the room. He then lifted a hand and pointed it across at Mikoto's side. "It is clear the villagers of Konoha no longer want us around anymore. They would rather see us all burn at the stake rather than risk another 'Madara Uchiha' being born amongst our ranks. Hell, I bet they would even rejoice after the deed was done! War was coming to our doorstep, and the leaf and her allies struck the first blow… using one of our own shinobi no less! We have to act now and retaliate with a direct assault on their Hokage Tower!"

While some of the members on Tetsuo's side nodded and clamored in agreement, the members on Mikoto's side, a majority of them still active Jonin on Konoha's main force, disapproved with this decision altogether.

The brown haired Jonin speaking from Mikoto's right flank, Hayato Uchiha, shook his head. "Even if all of us wanted to go along with this radical plan of yours… how?" the man asked, at the same time gesturing around the room. "Most of our active force is made up primarily of Chunin… including some of the people around this table. The second we try to make any move against Konoha, their forces would swarm in and crush us."

"We shouldn't even be thinking of attacking Konoha at all. Right now we should be mourning our dead, cleaning up our streets, and rebuilding what we've lost while we still have the chance," a young teenager on the side of the table spoke, arms at his sides as he timidly looked around the table. Seeing the faces of the adults looking at him and waiting for him to continue, the Chunin gulped and lowered his head, tears slowly brimming in his eyes. "I… I lost my mum and my baby sister when Itachi attacked my home. I… want to bury them properly… right next to dad."

Sensing the sadness emanating from the boy seemed to quell the blood-thirstiness in some of the other members, as the men and women around the conference space also lowered their heads sadly. In the next minute to follow, even more individuals in the group began to speak.

"Yeah," another male Jonin answered.

"My neighbor's children also lost their parents. I'm close to them… so I want to make sure that they have a proper home to come back to and someone to take care of them," another female Chunin spoke.

"We shouldn't fight. There's no point."

"I agree. We should start fixing things before doing anything else. I need to look after my son now that his mother's gone."

Hearing all of this had Tetsuo look around with a deep frown, as his fingers then curled into fists and he gave a low growl. "The reason everything is like this… is because of Konoha and their _damn_ , hypocritical government!" His outburst silenced everyone, as the silver haired ANBU looked up and, in his anger, activated his Sharingan. The man's red eyes spun into life as he glared across at Mikoto. "My little boy and wife were killed by Itachi that night, because I wasn't there to protect them! I don't care what everyone else here thinks! I'm going to get to the bottom of this! And once I find out that Konoha was involved in this massacre in any way, I'm going to burn this village, their people, and their precious monument to the ground!"

While a majority of the room shirked under the man's rage and the few men with Tetsuo cried out in support of their friend, a sudden wash of killing intent suddenly flooded the house and drowned out the man's own fluctuating aura. What followed was a sudden shockwave as the floor beneath their table suddenly split in half, right down the center, and a gust of wind rippled outwards, rattling the sliding doors and the roof.

As dust cascaded around the startled Uchiha clan, everyone looked to the head of the table to see Mikoto standing there, a white aura of chakra wafting off of her as she glared at Tetsuo with a fierce, enraged expression. When the silver-haired branch leader and the rest of the people behind him looked at the mother, they saw Mikoto had her Sharingan active, and that they were morphed into a new pattern that was completely different from the conventional one.

The tomoe in her eyes transforming into three clockwise spinning arrow heads with red dots in the centers of their points, Mikoto continued to flare her chakra and shake the room with her killing intent, causing all those around her to take a cautionary step back. Those who couldn't take her emission of presence shivered and collapsed to their knees, whereas those who could barely held it together and trembled on the spot.

Once she was sure she had their attention, Mikoto spoke up once more. "You will do no such thing." Her voice deep and filled with warning, the woman kept bombarding Tetsuo with her presence until the man backed down and deactivated his Sharingan. Once she was certain he'd retreated, the mother continued. "Don't forget… I also lost my husband and eldest son that night… and I nearly lost my youngest one too had Naruto Uzumaki not been there to save him. Now… I owe this boy everything for what he did… and I believe many of us here do too. So let's not waste away what we've managed to recover by expending it all on an attack on our home village that was doomed to fail from the get-go." Allowing her chakra to dissipate then gave the members of her clan present a moment of reprieve. Her _Mangekyō Sharingan_ also deactivating, the kunoichi took a steady breath to compose herself. "Fugaku was pressured by the other main branch members to support their cause… a movement that I knew he didn't want to have any part of. He wanted to try and resolve this matter peacefully and without bloodshed… but the others wouldn't have it and forced him to follow their wishes. Well… all this talk of rebellion and insurgency ends now."

As silence dominated the room, this allowed a composed Hayato to speak up with a smile. "So… now that we've all been scared shitless… what does _'Demon Arrow'_ Mikoto have to say?"

Smirking across at the man for adding her nickname respectfully, the Uchiha mother turned her attention back to the opposing crowd. "As wife of Fugaku Uchiha, direct descendent of the second main branch family of Naori Uchiha, and one of the few ninja responsible for bringing down the 'Wind Demon' Fuma Kotaro in battle, I have now assumed the role and responsibilities as head of the Uchiha Clan. As such, I have also assumed control of all our current affairs; civilian, political, and military alike. If any one of you has any objections to this, my credentials, or my abilities to handle this, please speak up now." Glancing around the room and seeing none of the men or women raising their hands or ready to make any form of protest, Mikoto nodded. "Good. Then our first order of business is this… forgetting all thoughts and plans of rebellion against our fellow villagers. In order for us to start on the road to recovery and redeem our place in the history books, we must now disperse all motivations of hatred and revenge… otherwise we are no different than the men who started this. We have to break this cycle before any more of us are taken hold by it and transformed into monsters like Madara."

"Done," Hayato spoke, nodding as he then looked at Mikoto for further instructions. "What's the second order of business?"

Mikoto beamed, "Rebuilding our clan and its reputation."

XXX

(A week later)

Shortly after the little white fox's return early the next morning to their wing of the hospital, Naruto and Tayuya were released back into the village, as the wounds that both of them had sustained on the night of the Uchiha attack had healed enough to let them off the facility's registry. The doctors and nurses were actually surprised at how quickly the blonde's wounds had healed, as they initially believed that it would've taken a whole week for such a deep injury to have closed up. Not to mention being hit by Itachi's genjutsu would've confined him to the hospital cubicle for another two weeks due to the physical strain of the experience.

But, by some otherworldly miracle they simply could not comprehend, all of the boy's wounds had seemingly disappeared overnight, and his vitality had been fully restored. With Tayuya's injuries also recovering quickly simply from being within Naruto's proximity, their newly restored states allowed the young pair to return home and back to their normal lives, as if nothing had ever happened. However, in spite of their respective physical reclamations, both orphans still carried the memories and scars of that fateful night's events with them; the losses and its revelations.

Needless to say, the whole thing had given the pair one healthy dosage of reality. In the shinobi world, it was practically kill or be killed. The survival of the fittest. This was something that Naruto had already been well aware of, but never truly appreciated until now.

True to her word, after being let out of the wards, Tayuya submitted her application to the Hokage to be admitted into Konoha's kunoichi program. Since she was still at a very young age, she would be able to enter the academy without any issue, but would still have to undergo the standard entrance exam to assess her level of ability. This test was scheduled for the end of the week, where the Chunin instructors of Naruto's year would give her a bunch of questions to answer and determine exactly where she stood.

As for Naruto, he and Tama returned to the academy and his regular training regimen like it were just another ordinary day. While his roommate prepared herself for her coming assessments, the blond went back to class, expecting to be greeted with the same cold indifference he received everywhere else he went. Even after being away for so long and sent through intensive care, he figured the teachers and the students wouldn't have missed him one bit, and would've just carried on as usual.

However, as he was sitting in class early one morning reading from his book on Bo staff fighting, with Tama sitting quietly on the desk beside him, he received a bit of a surprise.

While he was reciting one of the key movements in the fourth chapter, Naruto suddenly became aware of a bunch of whispering going on around him. At first he didn't think anything of it, but as he carelessly lent the rest of the class an ear out of curiosity, he blinked when he heard his name being spoken within the context of the conversations.

"Hey, did you hear? Naruto was there the night Itachi Uchiha attacked his clan."

"Huh? For real?"

"Yeah. He and Sasuke were sent to the hospital together."

"Didn't Naruto attack Itachi and save someone?"

"I think so. I heard he saved a bunch of people. Like… he jumped in the way of the man's sword and stopped him from killing them."

"Yes. That's what my dad said."

Noticing these things were being said by a bunch of people, Naruto glanced across the class to see who exactly was talking. Immediately he saw two separate groups, a bunch of boys up in the top row and a group of boys and girls in the middle row were staring at him. The moment his eyes landed on them however, he saw both sets of children look away. Even so, it was apparent that they couldn't keep their eyes or attention off of him for very long, as they quickly continued to whisper amongst each other.

"Are you sure it's true?" one of the boys at the top row asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. It was Naruto."

"But… mum and dad said he was nothing but a delinquent, and that we shouldn't talk to him at all." This time it was a collective of girls at the front of the class talking.

"Well, maybe they were wrong. If what he did is true, then he must be super brave and a really good person."

"Yeah. And he's really cool too. Look at him." This comment was followed by a series of giggles.

All this talk about him served to put a smile on Naruto's lips, as his heart raced a little faster in delight that the kids were starting to take notice of him. _"Heh. This is new. No one has ever said nice things about me before."_ He guessed this was probably what a person who did good deeds felt. It certainly wasn't bad in any way.

Though he didn't let any of it get to his head, he still had the right sense of mind to enjoy it while it lasted.

As the jinchuriki was indulging in this strange yet positive sensation of recognition, Naruto failed to notice the room's clamor start up again at an even more frivolous pace. That was until he suddenly heard the chair next to him shift and a person sit down in it, which had his eyes perk up from the book he was reading.

" _Huh? Someone is sitting next to me?"_ Before class had even started? What the hell?

Curious, the blond glanced to his right, where he then balked in surprise when he saw Sasuke Uchiha sitting beside him; dressed in his signature high-collar blue shirt and grey shorts. As soon as his eyes landed on the young clan member, he saw that the youngster's eyes were shut and that his elbow was resting on the desk with his chin in his hand.

At first neither boy said anything to one another and remained where they were in silence, with Naruto staring at the raven haired youngster oddly while the Uchiha youngster kept his gaze averted. Once that moment of awkwardness had passed, Sasuke then cracked open his eyes and looked across at the blond.

"Hey."

"Hey?" Naruto responded to the greeting in kind, not quite knowing what to make of this scenario and simply giving the Uchiha room for suspicion. "How are you doing? Everything good?"

"In a way," Sasuke answered, at the same time giving the blond next to him a once over. "What about you? How are things on your end?"

Huh. The coolest kid in the academy and star prodigy was actually sitting and talking to him? That was a snap.

If Naruto's luck held out to this afternoon, it might actually start raining ryo and free ramen over his apartment building. Kami, he hoped that would happen.

"They're fine… I guess." Lowering his book while Tama quirked an eye to see what was happening, Naruto nodded to the class's top student. "I'm… really sorry about what happened the other night. I only wish… I could've done more."

Sasuke nodded, acting a little gloomier than usual but still appearing relatively okay. It certainly made sense after what'd happened recently. "It's okay. You did everything you could." After a few moments of tense silence, the raven haired youngster then gave Naruto a well-deserved smile. "Thanks, by the way… for protecting my mum."

At first the blond was baffled by this, as this was the first time he could remember really talking with the raven haired boy and actually receiving thanks from him. He didn't hate the kid. Not at all. In fact he actually respected the raven haired youngster and gave him his due space, as did the Uchiha.

In terms of overall combat and academic ability, both boys quietly viewed one another as a sort of equal and acknowledged the other's strengths and skills. While one had superb ninjutsu prowess and a talent for learning techniques one after the other on the fly, the other was a genius taijutsu specialist and a hard worker, brilliant at combat and hand-to-hand strategy. Aside from that, the two also shared a bit of common ground with the other, where they'd both spent a lot of time alone.

While one did have a family, he'd lost a lot of it last week, and the other never had one at all. Hell, Naruto only had a vague idea of what one of his parents actually looked like. Though their circumstances were different, the end result fell within the same territory. The only thing the blond was envious about was that Sasuke was popular, whereas he was not.

Hopefully that might change sometime in the near future.

Naruto beamed brightly, "That's okay. I'm just glad you guys are alright."

After sharing one last nod with the blond, Sasuke then went back to resting on the spot, keeping his gaze set on the board at the front of the class while his head was held steady in his hand. Naruto also returned to reading his book quietly, looking quite cheered up while Tama glanced up at him.

Noticing the happy expression on the blonde's face, the white fox also shared a smile and, giving a yawn and a stretch, went back to dozing.

Of course, as the fates would have it, the day wasn't done yet with Naruto. About ten minutes before the start of homeroom and as the rest of the class was busy admiring the blond and raven haired pair on the far side of the room, a group of shadows suddenly fell over their desk. When Naruto and Sasuke looked up, they suddenly saw three girls standing right in front of them.

Standing in a row, the girls stood before the boys nervously, sparing each of them furtive glances. The one on the left was a silver haired girl with her hair done into a side ponytail, wearing a green kimono top, fishnet armor, and a blue hairpin. The middle one was a messy haired girl with short brown locks, wearing an orange martial arts top and a skirt. The one on the right was a black haired girl with pigtails, wearing a white, long-sleeved kimono top with blue flowers on it, and yellow shorts.

What was unusual about them wasn't their appearance or the fact they were standing in front of their desk. It was the fact that they all seemed to be gathered directly in front of Naruto.

The blond could only stare at them in confusion as the three girls smiled back at him, their faces red as they seemed to sway tentatively on the spot.

"Uhh… hello?" Naruto greeted with a rather pathetic wave.

"Hello, N-Naruto-san," the girl on the left spoke. "Are you… are you feeling okay today?"

"You're not still hurt, are you?" the raven haired girl asked, at the same time glancing at her feet when the blond looked at her. "We heard you were sent to the hospital about a week ago… after you saved Sasuke and his mother."

Lowering his book, Naruto struggled to find the right words to respond. "Yeah. I was. Don't worry, I'm fine though." He said this while shaking his hands and grinning sheepishly. "Really. It's just a little scratch. The guy's sword didn't cut that deep… _I think_." A thoughtful look then came into play, as the jinchuriki couldn't quite remember how far Itachi's blade had actually traveled into his back.

In fact, he was pretty sure the guy had managed to scrape bone with his blow.

The three girls brightening up at his words, the trio then shared looks with one another before, all at once, they brought their hands forward and held out three wrapped-up boxes towards him. As soon as the girls thrust their presents to the youngster, all of their cheeks lit up scarlet and they bowed their heads in gratitude.

" _ **Thank you very much."**_ The three girls said simultaneously, their arms noticeably shaking slightly as they kept them extended.

"Uhh… th-that's okay," Naruto stuttered back, completely overwhelmed by everything that was going on as he and the rest of the class watched the three girls place their gifts on the desk in front of him. Upon which they then stepped back and waited expectantly for his response. This came in the form of a nervous smile. "It was nothing. Really."

Hands behind her back, the raven haired girl on the right pressed her foot meekly into the floor and, after rocking on the spot, beamed at the boy. "M-My name is Kurumi… Uchiha Kurumi. This is Yumi Uchiha and Mirai Uchiha… from next door." She gestured to the silver and brown haired girls respectively, both of whom nodded or waved. "You… saved my papa from Itachi last night … when he broke into our house."

"Oh… so you were…" Naruto chirped, quickly recognizing her from memory as the little girl from the family of four that he burst in on in that very first house. Though the events had happened so fast, he still remembered the people as clear as day. "Is your dad okay?"

"Yes. He's fine," Kurumi replied, at the same time blushing as she struggled to look the boy in the eye. "D-Do you… uhh… I mean… would you like to… join us at recess for some games? We were going to play tag on the courts and the playground together."

"Tag? At recess?" At first seeming stumped, the blond took a moment to think about it. After sharing a look with Tama, who was also waiting patiently for a response, he then cracked a smile and beamed up at the trio. "Sure. I'd love to."

"G-Great," Kurumi stuttered happily, before once again giving the boy a bow. "We'll meet you here after the bell." Giving the child one last wave, the three Uchiha girls then scampered away, all of them smiling and gushing excitedly with one another about how they were able to talk to the blond hero.

After watching the group leave the room with wide eyes, Naruto spent the next minute processing exactly what'd just happened. The class was also baffled by the event, with the scattered groups of students quickly starting to clamor excitedly over how they had a new famous person in their midst. Though some still couldn't believe over what they'd just heard, there were more who were completely blown over by the news. Even Shikamaru and Shino were giving the kid thoughtful looks of consideration.

Dropping back into reality took a few seconds longer for Naruto, but once he was back on ground level, he was able to take a closer look at the three gifts the Uchiha girls had given him. Picking one up and holding it at a distance, wondering if it was a trap or something, he then looked down at his friend Tama, whom he could see was staring up at him and waving her tail happily. He then looked across at Sasuke.

The Uchiha, along with the rest of the class behind him, were also staring at him with expressions of curiosity and wonder.

Feeling a tad bit uncomfortable with the drastic level of attention he was receiving, Naruto shook his head. "What?"

His question had Tama drop her head back to her arms and return to napping, while Sasuke stared ahead of him with an amused smile in play. Disregarding their responses, Naruto went back to opening his presents, discovering to his pleasant surprise an expensive box of chocolates, a hand knitted blue scarf with coupons for Ichiraku's ramen and the hot springs, and a new blue shirt with a whirlpool symbol on it.

They all came with notes too, all of them saying the same thing.

' _Thank you for saving us.'_

They were also all signed by the children and the parents, with each emblazoned with the Uchiha Clan symbol.

The sight had Naruto tear up a little and grin, which he quickly hid by pretending to wipe his thumb under his nose and look out the window. _"Man… this hero stuff ain't half bad after all."_

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Omake – Tayuya's First Lesson**

"Now, Tayuya-chan… in order for you to become a super strong kunoichi, we have to start you off from square one," Naruto said enthusiastically, at the same time he looked excitedly across at Tayuya, who he could see was standing directly in front of him beside the bamboo grove. Noticing the girl was listening with all ears trained on him, the blond in the white jacket nodded. "That means we're going to have to start you on a hard, pounding routine of pushups, sit ups, squats, a ton of running, a ton of weight lifting, and combat training. The rest of it should come as we go."

"Including how to control chakra?" Tayuya asked inquisitively.

"Uh-huh. In order to gain better control of it, we have to work from the ground up, strengthen it, and make it easier to use," Naruto said, at the same time walking over to an oak tree growing next to them and placing his hand against the trunk. "The books say you need to have strong foundations if you have any hopes of building a castle on top of it… whatever the hell that means."

Tayuya scrunched her brow, "I think it means in order to become a strong ninja, you have to know all the basics." Her remark earned a cheerful yip from Tama, who was sitting on the ground beside them with interest. "You know, in snobbish noble terms."

Naruto shrugged and gave the girl a grin. "Makes sense. Okay." He then clapped his hands together. "Let's get this ball rolling. First I want you to hop up here and give me twenty chin-ups."

Following his finger, Tayuya saw the branch hanging overhead. After staring at it for a moment, the girl in the brown top then glanced down at Naruto blankly. "So… you want me to do… chin-ups?"

"Yep."

"Twenty of them?"

"Uh-huh."

"On _that_ branch?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Ya-huh."

"Twenty?"

"Yes."

"In a row?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto exclaimed, looking incredibly excited as he then gestured her towards the space provided and took a step back. "Let's go!"

Sighing in resignation, Tayuya then shrugged and rolled up her sleeves. "Well… I guess sooner is better than later." Walking forward, she then swung her arms back and forth and prepared to jump. "Okay… this is gonna freakin suck. I know it." After crouching down, she then sprang up and caught the branch. Upon which she proceeded to pull.

"Okay! Alright! That's it! Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed happily, watching as the red-headed flute user pulled herself up with a grunt and went back down. "One! Yes." He then watched and waited as Tayuya went for another. A few seconds of watching later however and seeing her body start to shake, the grinning blonde's smile vanished. "And a half. Are you kidding me?"

Tayuya responded by blushing to the roots of her hair and barking angrily. "Fuck off! I haven't done this before!"

Sighing as he then watched the girl continue struggling to do a second chin up, Naruto then felt a tap on his leg and looked down. When he glanced at his feet, he saw Tama sitting there with a thin bamboo cane sitting in her mouth. Curious, the boy bent over and took it from her.

"What do you want me to do with this?" the confused boy asked her.

The fox quietly turned around and, with a swish of her tail, whipped it through the air.

Looking between the cane, the fox, and then the hanging Tayuya, Naruto quickly deduced what the vixen meant. "So… you want me to…?" He pointed at the redhead, earning an affirmative bark from Tama and a happy wag of her tail. "Okay. Whatever you say." The blond then moved forward and, positioning himself behind his red haired roommate, drew back the cane.

When Tama saw Naruto take aim at Tayuya's dangling posterior, the little white fox's expression then reflected one of mischief and evil.

After a couple of testing swings, the casual looking Naruto then drew back and swung.

A loud _**slap**_ filled the air…

OOO

(Ichiraku's Ramen)

(Several minutes later)

Back in the center of the village, the father and daughter duo Teuchi and Ayame were busy filling out orders for a large group of customers inside their roadside business; two of them being a the young Shikamaru and Choji. As they toiled away at the pots and pans, handed out their orders to the people sitting alongside the children, and received various thanks from them in return, the peace of the moment was suddenly shattered by an unexpected sound.

"GAAAAHAAAAAAAA!" Naruto suddenly came screaming down the road right outside their restaurant, causing everyone to stop and look outside to see the blond sprint past and down the street, dodging people along the way.

Confused by the sight of the kid barreling through traffic, the people in the bar then turned and saw another person running after him. This took the form of a fiercely blushing Tayuya, who had managed to get her hands on a large stalk of bamboo and was swinging it above her head like a kendo stick.

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, SHITHEAD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"I'M SORRY, TAYUYA! I THOUGHT I WAS HELPING!"

"BY SLAPPING ME ON THE ASS?! ARE YOU FOR REAL!"

There was a pause.

…

…

…

"TAMA TOLD ME TO DO IT!"

"STOP RUNNING AND GET BACK HERE!"

After seeing the two kids disappear down the road, with Tayuya stating to throw random things at the blond, the customers inside the Ichiraku booth slowly returned to their meals. At the same time Shikamaru and Choji couldn't help but stare in the direction the pair of youngsters had gone.

"Okay… that was the strangest thing I've ever seen," the rotund boy remarked.

In response, the youngster with the pineapple cut sighed and returned to his bowl of ramen. "Troublesome."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** For all those wondering who **_Tamamo no Mae_** is, I suggest you guys look up her name on google. She's actually a pretty significant person in history and culture, and also plays a part in this story. You can also find her name in other media too.

A _One Shot_ will be written about her soon, so stay tuned.


	6. Kappa Arc - The Long Road

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone. Another chapter once again, and in leading up to Naruto's graduation, we have the **Kappa Arc**. This arc.

It's this part of the story that introduces Naruto to the wider world, and also shows where I plan on taking the story in the future. There's more than just Kaguya Otsutsuki's breed hanging around this world.

This chapter also introduces Naruto to a group, which will make another appearance later in the story during the Chunin Exams.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Long Road_

(Four years later)

It was a late morning over _Konohagakure_ and, as it was expected for this time of the season, was looking once again to be another great day. It was pleasantly warm, there were plenty of villagers walking around the streets and visiting the shops, and a calm atmosphere hung over the entire community. With the village and the world at peace, there didn't seem to be anything that could spoil this moment.

That was of course until you hit the back streets of the hidden leaf, where one particular gang of delinquents was roaming free and causing trouble for the locals.

In the alleyway behind the arcade and gaming workshop in the entertainment district, a group of a dozen older boys around fourteen to sixteen years old were hanging about the crates and garbage bins stacked against the building's wall. While the majority of the casually dressed hoodlums were chilling out and chatting with one another, another group of about three of them had taken an interest in a couple of girls that'd been walking by, and had cornered them after harrying them off the road.

"What? Are you saying you don't want to hang out with us?" the head of the group, a young man with brown hair, wearing a yellow hooded jacket, blue beanie and jeans asked while leaning against the concrete wall. Trying to come off as completely cool, he and the rest of his gang leered down at the two girls standing in between them. "Come on. I promise we'll treat you nicely."

In response, the irked blonde teenager in the jean skirt and singlet top barked back at the young man. "Why would we want to hang out with a bunch of idiots like you?"

"Yeah! You guys are nothing but creeps! Leave us alone!" her raven haired friend in the red jumper and shorts spoke up, before giving a yelp when one of the boys behind her got a little too close. His breath on the back of her head caused her hair to stand on end.

"Aww, come on baby. We're not _that_ bad," the boy in the hooded vest behind her remarked with a grin. "Come with us and we'll show you two a good time. We promise we won't do anything weird or uncomfortable."

The blonde girl rounded on the rowdy teenager furiously. "And I'm telling you, we're not interested! Now buzz off!" She then attempted to take a swat at the kid, only to have her swing dodged. This caused all the other guys to laugh.

"She's feisty, this one," one of the other males in the mob commented in amusement.

"Careful, Hondo. Get too close and she'll claw your eyes out," another boy egged.

Just as the crowd of teenagers started to encircle the two girls, who were now starting to get incredibly scared, the group was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched bark from nearby. Looking over their shoulders, the collection of fifteen odd boys quickly spotted a little white fox sitting on the ground a few yards away, glaring at them with a pair of sharp yellow eyes, and looking especially cross.

Turning away from the two thirteen year old chicks, the boss in the blue beanie and yellow jacket raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What the hell is this freaky dog doing here?"

"Her name is Tama… and I advise you guys not to call her a _freaky dog_." The new voice had the gang turn to look down the length of the alley, where they saw a pair of figures approaching them. "She's a fox… and she has a tendency to bite people who insult her."

Quickly sizing up the two new arrivals, the band of delinquents immediately gave them their full and undivided attention. The first figure was a cute, fit-looking young girl around twelve years old with hazel brown eyes, reddish-pink hair that grew down her back, wearing a purple beanie, a brown, drop-shoulder halter top, black spandex shorts, white leg warmers, blue sandals, a side-holster for a flute, and a red headset around her neck attached to a portable music player.

The second figure- the one who had spoken up- was a boy around the same age and stood half a head taller than his female counterpart. He had blond spiky hair, blue eyes, three-whisker marks drawn on each cheek, and was wearing an orange, long-sleeved shirt with a white, fur hooded jacket over it with blue trim, a blue scarf tied around his left arm, and a pair of maroon slim chinos with blue sandals. Also hanging from his back appeared to be some kind of large, reinforced holster containing a collapsible Bo staff.

It was worth noting that both kids were drinking from two separate cartons of milk; the blond a chocolate milk and the redhead a full cream milk. Since it was still very much morning, it made sense for the two of them to be in the middle of having breakfast, even though the sight was quite perplexing.

As the gang's focus was shifted to the two newcomers, both Naruto and Tayuya approached with calm expressions in play and smiles on their faces. They stopped just a few feet from the posse, who then moved forward to surround them.

"Hey now, what do we have here?" a boy in a red jacket asked from the crowd while hopping off of a nearby crate. "A couple of little punks trying to be heroes?"

"The fuck you want, blondie?"

"Yo. Check out the tail he's with. She's pretty cute."

"Hey, baby. Want to hang out with us instead of this loser?" one of the boys with more guts than sense asked.

Tayuya instead glared back at the punk before switching her attention to who she guessed was the boss. "Didn't you hear them, fuckwit? They said they're not interested in talking to you. So why don't you and your team of back-up dancers just take off before something really bad happens."

Immediately disliking the girl's tone and the way she was speaking so bluntly with them, the boss pushed the two females they had cornered behind him and marched forward in a hunched-over, gangster manner, at the same time the rest of his boys closed in on the duo. Despite now being completely surrounded on all sides, neither the blond nor his foul-mouthed friend appeared nervous in the slightest. In fact, both of them were still smirking broadly at the mob of troublemakers.

"What the hell do you two brats want?" the boss asked.

In response, Naruto shrugged and looked down at the carton of open milk in his hand. "My friend and I were just taking a walk nearby when we noticed you fellas bothering these two young ladies over here." He then casually took a sip and sighed when he lowered his carton. "Since they both appeared to be quite distressed, we decided to come over and see if we could help them out."

"Huh? What the hell? Are you saying you want to start something with us, half-pint?" one of the teenagers from his right asked while their boss walked right up to the duo.

Naruto closed his eyes and grinned, "Kind of, yeah."

All of a sudden the leader in the blue beanie raised his hand and slapped the carton of milk out of Naruto's grip. The two girls and the rest of the gang then watched the blond look down at his spilled drink in shock, which caused the teen's entourage to snicker while their boss continued to give the boy a menacing glare.

"How about you two walk away and mind your own business?" the teen continued with a sneer.

While Naruto turned to the boss with a low 'tsk' and a more than irate look on his face, Tayuya simply grinned broadly and took another sip from her carton.

"Now you've done it."

A split second later a loud _thump_ rang out when the blond next to the flute player drew his fist back and buried it into the teen leader's ribcage, the force of the blow lifting the stunned young man off the floor and sending him barreling into the group of delinquents behind him. Five of the boys were instantly knocked over like a stack of bowling pins by their leader's body crashing into them, a sight that caused the rest of the gang to gape in shock. The moment their boss was taken down, a now furious Naruto charged forward with a calm, yet terrifying look on his whisker-marked face, grabbed an orange haired Akimichi teen by the shirt, lifted him over his head, and threw him into one of his friends like a barrel, knocking them both to the ground.

Two of the delinquents in the background watched as the blond proceeded to clobber their friends into submission, moments before two similarly terrified looks came upon their faces.

"N-No way… isn't he…?" the kid with the red vest and Mohawk spoke.

"That brat… the infamous _delinquent crusher_?" his friend in the blue jacket asked.

"It's gotta be!" Gritting his teeth, the teen with the Mohawk gave a roar and charged forward, bringing his fist back to deck the golden haired beast attacking their gang. "YOU'RE MINE, RUNT!" He then swung for the back of the kid's head, only to watch the jinchuriki step towards him and head-butt him in the face. The loud crunch was followed by the teenager being launched back, with his nose squashed and blood flying from it, as he then crashed to the ground with a thud.

Upon seeing Naruto start the battle off with a bang, Tayuya quickly finished her milk, tossed it aside, and spun around to face the teens standing behind her.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" With an excited laugh and a battle cry, she charged at the group and immediately decked one across the face, dropping him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Come here, meat bags!"

From there Naruto and Tayuya proceeded to assault and viciously beat the ever-living piss out of the entire gang. During which time the two girls the group had been harassing earlier simply stood on the sidelines, watching with stunned expressions as the two younger kids took each of the teenagers down one after the other…

OOO

(Several minutes later)

"Umm… here you go, sir," the now noticeably beaten up delinquent leader said meekly while holding out a new carton of milk to Naruto. His right eye completely swollen shut, his face bruised and bleeding from a couple of places, the nervously smiling hoodlum bowed his head courteously to the blond warrior. "Uh, will this carton… be an acceptable replacement?"

In response a visibly cheered up Naruto beamed as he happily accepted the young man's offering. "Yeah. Thanks for taking the trouble."

"N-No problem. Well, we have to be going now," the leader informed, before quickly ushering the rest of his gang, away from the area, all of whom were also beaten and battered. From there the dozen older boys proceeded to limp out of the alley, most of them dragging their feet due to all the wounds and bruises they'd sustained.

It was quite an amusing sight to see them all hobbling away in such a defeated and ragged fashion.

"Sounds good. You guys take care," Naruto waved as the group disappeared, before then opening up his new carton of milk and having a sip. After gulping down the refreshing beverage, the blond gave a satisfied sigh and turned back around, where he saw Tayuya blowing on her knuckles and the two girls they'd rescued standing close behind her. "So… how did you do? Take any hits?"

"Nope," Tayuya replied proudly, propping her hands on her waist. "You?"

The blond held up his fingers in an 'OK' sign. "Zero," the 'jinchuriki' replied, before then giving a quick stretch of his back. "As fun as that whole thing was… those guys didn't put up much of a fight. They were too slow and uncoordinated. Honestly, I think these street gangs are starting to get a little slack."

"Or _…_ we're just getting too strong for them to really do anything against us," Tayuya chuckled as Naruto then beckoned Tama over; the little fox bounding towards the pair and hopping up onto the blonde's shoulder from the ground. As soon as she was sitting comfortably over his neck, the redhead continued. "I suppose that means we're close to becoming full-fledged ninjas now, huh?"

"Yeah. All we need to do is get through our last assignment, do a couple more tests and then have our final exams. After that we'll be able to graduate as Genin of _Konohagakure_ ," Naruto replied, appearing incredibly chipper as he then turned his attention to the two girls they'd saved. Noticing their awed and astonished expressions, the jinchuriki smiled, "Yo. Are you girls alright?"

"Y-Yes." Stuttering in response, the blonde girl slowly raised a hand and pointed across at the younger children standing together. "Hey… aren't you guys…?"

" _The Two Foxes_ … the gold and red duo Naruto Uzumaki and Tayuya Hara?" the raven haired girl in the jumper asked, at the same time still appearing shocked. When she saw the pair nod in response, the same girl visibly brightened up and clapped her hands together. "Th-Thanks so much for getting those assholes away from us."

"You really saved our necks back there," her blonde friend added.

A bashful Naruto chuckled and rubbed the top of his head sheepishly. "Heh. No problem." His response was further exemplified by the cheerful yip from Tama. "The three of us were just on our way to the academy from our training area when we spotted those guys skulking around the alleyways."

"When we saw them drag you two over to their hiding spot, we knew something fishy was up. So we decided to come over and ask them for a quick post-training cool down session. It was no big deal," Tayuya said with a casual tone, at the same time leaning to the left confidently. "Those dumbasses weren't really much sport to begin with."

While the girls gazed at the young duo assumed in their respective stances, Naruto, petting little Tama on the head, turned heel and started heading off on his own way.

"Come on, Tay-chan. We're gonna be late for class."

The red-headed flute player rolled her eyes and quickly fell in step with him. "Right behind you, shithead."

As the duo ambled away at their own pace and Naruto took another swig of the carton of milk in his hand, the two older girls watching from behind stood in place for a moment. After seeing the heroes turn the corner seconds later and disappear, both of them quickly looked at each other and gushed excitedly.

" _ **They're so cool!"**_ the pair exclaimed in unison, completely overwhelmed by everything they'd just seen.

When the pair finally rejoined the main road and started heading in the direction of the Hokage Monument, Naruto used that time to finish his carton of milk and toss it into a nearby recycling bin. After which he then resumed his stroll, admiring the stores and the people they passed. With the warm sun beating down on them from over the horizon, it helped to highlight the cheerful mood he was currently in.

"We've got a literature and code-writing class for first period… and then taijutsu class after recess. Don't we?" the blond asked his roommate.

"Yep. Your favorite lesson of all," Tayuya replied with a wide smile while glancing across at the jinchuriki. "We should also be getting our results back from our applied physics and mathematics test from last week."

Naruto's head perked up. "Oh yeah. That's right. The one with the shuriken trajectory question."

"You know, that assessment accounts for about fifteen percent of our final grade." The redhead then eyed the boy excitedly. "Is our wager still on?"

"You bet it is," Naruto chuckled, at the same time missing the mischievous grin the flute player threw his way as she deliberately slowed her pace. He also failed to notice Tama hopping off of his shoulder to walk along the ground next to him. "And I'll bet that between you, me and Sasuke that _I_ got the highest score out of the three of us. I've been studying like crazy for my math and physics, dattebayo, so there's no way that I'm going to-GAH!" He let out a startled yelp when Tayuya suddenly jumped onto his back, and wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and torso. The boy didn't even stumble in his stroll as he looked over his shoulder. "Hey. What's up?"

"My legs are tired. Carry me, spiky," Tayuya teased as she rested her chin on top of the would-be jinchuriki's shoulder.

Not appearing put off in the slightest or looking as though the girl's weight was affecting him at all, which it wasn't, Naruto grinned and kept on walking, with Tama right beside him. "Okay. But don't start complaining if the ride gets a little bumpy towards the school."

"Pft. On your back? No way," the redhead replied, affectionately snuggling her face into the crook of his neck, right on the fur of his jacket's collar.

Having no problems with this arrangement, the blond then proceeded on course, paying no attention to the fact that some of the villagers in the area were watching them and giving them odd looks of amusement as they ambled down the road.

OOO

(A few hours later)

"Alright class. That's a break. Go out and get yourselves something to eat," Iruka instructed as the bell for the end of first period rang, announcing the beginning of their first break. This immediately prompted all the children in the room to stand and begin mingling with one another, with their teacher using that opportunity to quickly grab his stuff and head out.

After watching the Chunin slip out the door from his seat by the classroom window, a visibly chipper Naruto stood up, stretched, had Tama jump up onto his shoulder, and slowly made his way down the steps to the front of the hall. Along the way he couldn't help but notice the other kids in the classroom eyeing him and whispering his name in context, which served to put a smile on his face as he clapped a sleeping Shikamaru on the shoulder when he passed his row. The boy with the pineapple cut woke up and waved back when the blond gave him a friendly 'good morning', before stepping down onto the forward landing.

It was there he met up with Sasuke, who'd gotten there ahead of him and was waiting patiently for the jinchuriki to arrive with his normal, brooding expression in play.

"So…" Naruto spoke up, stopping in front of the raven haired boy in the high-collared blue shirt, white shorts and white arm warmers. As Tama's tail swished behind his head, the blond cracked a grin. "How are you doing today, Sasuke? Feeling good?"

The Uchiha boy smirked back at the blond while some of the remaining students in the room gradually took notice of the pair at the bottom of the stairs. "In a manner of speaking. After the training session I had with my mother last night, I'd say I'm in top form today."

"Oh… well… that's great. Because you're going to need it for all the pushups you're going to be doing," Naruto chirped, before pulling his arm out from behind him and unfurling his applied physics and mathematics test sheet he'd gotten back from Iruka. He then gave a fake gasp of surprise when he flashed Sasuke his score. "Oh my gosh. What is that? A nine… and a five sitting right next to each other… with an A-plus in the top left corner. That's even higher than the last test you had, Sasuke." He then dangled the sheet of paper in front of the raven haired boy's eyes. "If I'm looking at this right… I think that puts me ahead of you by ten points."

Nodding his head in an impressed manner, the cool Uchiha breathed a sigh. "Well... that certainly is a really high score. I doubt there would be another kid in this class who can beat it." It was then while watching Naruto's grin widen that Sasuke pulled his test papers from behind him and slowly lifted them up in front of the blonde's face. He then had the pleasure of watching the orphan's smile and jaw drop, which prompted the raven haired youngster to fake a gasp as well. "Oh? What do we have here? A nine and a seven sitting side-by-side, with an A-plus in the top left corner as well." Sasuke's smirk only seemed to broaden as he watched Naruto's arms drop in defeat. "So… comparing the scores from your test to mine, I'd say that makes _me_ the winner."

After gaping at the boy's test for a moment, a nearly teary-eyed Naruto frowned and glared back at the Uchiha. "You can be a real asshole sometimes, you know."

Sasuke shrugged and lowered his test proudly, "So you keep telling me."

A now stubborn looking blond then growled, "I demand a recount!"

"Why? We both know the marks won't change one bit."

"Yeah? Well, you'll never know unless we try," Naruto replied as he and Sasuke got right into each other's faces, both frowning in their respective, competitive manners.

"Boys. Boys. What's with all the anger and snarling going on over here?" a new voice spoke up as Tayuya suddenly walked up beside them and wrapped her arms around both their shoulders. When she saw them both look at her, the flute player took notice of their test scores and whistled. "Fuck me. Look at that. A ninety-five and a ninety-seven percent between the two of you? Those are some pretty high marks. If this was a competition, I'd say Sasuke would be in first place." When she saw the Uchiha smirk and Naruto frown, the redhead then allowed her own grin to widen. "But…" She then pulled out her test sheet and thrust it out to the boys. "Huh? Hang on? What's that? A hundred percent?! No way!" Tayuya fake-gasped while watching in amusement as both Naruto and Sasuke leant forward and gaped at her paper. "So… if I got full marks… then that makes _me_ the winner of our little three-way."

Sasuke frowned and glared up at the girl, "I don't want you to say that to me again… _ever_." This earned a hearty laugh from the flute player.

"That's just not possible," Naruto carried on, before then looking up at his grinning roommate in shock. "How did you get full marks and we didn't?"

"Oh. I don't know," Tayuya replied while lowering her paper, folding it up and slipping it into her short's pocket. "I guess I'm just awesome that way, you know." She then sniffed arrogantly and looked out the window. "It's really hard not to be."

Naruto and Sasuke both shared hilariously similar frowns as they glared back at the girl. After which they both straightened up and the blond gave a sigh of disappointment. "I bet you just got lucky. I hate numbers anyway…" His comment earned a yip of agreement from Tama.

"Speaking of numbers," Tayuya chirped while folding her arms and leering across at the pair in front of her. "You boys owe me bitch pushups."

Staring at her for a moment and noticing the expectant look on her face, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What? Here?"

"Uh-huh."

"Right now?" Naruto asked.

"Oh yeah," the flute player replied, raising a hand and pointing across at Sasuke first. "For second place, you owe me a thousand bitch pushups." While the Uchiha looked away with a huff and the class behind him gaped, Tayuya then turned and grinned at the blond. "And for third place, because I love you so much shithead, you owe me eight thousand bitch pushups." This remark had all the students in the class behind her stare in abject horror, at the same time Naruto just looked at her as if she were crazy.

"WHAT?!" The 'jinchuriki' then pointed across at Sasuke. "How come I get eight times more pushups than _this_ bastard?"

Tayuya grinned, "Because I said so… _and_ because I haven't forgotten the ass-kicking you gave me during yesterday's training session. So there." She then stuck her tongue out teasingly, while at the same time watching Tama jump off of Naruto's shoulder and onto hers. She then felt the fox get comfortable and prepare to watch the punishment the two boys were about to be subjected to.

Naruto frowned while glancing over at Sasuke, "Now whose acting salty. Am I right?"

"Yeah," the Uchiha replied miserably.

A clap then echoed throughout the room when Tayuya slapped her hands together. "Alright. Get to it. Chop-chop." She then heard two collective groans as both boys dropped to the ground and started doing pushups. As their bodies moved up and down in relative sync with one another without so much as a grunt or complaint between them, the flute player and the rest of the students present observed their performance for the next couple of minutes. After going through their first set of eighty, Tayuya then shook her head and shrugged. "You know we used to do that with one hand, I don't want to say anything though."

Shooting a glare up at the girl, both Naruto and Sasuke widened their feet, slipped their right hands behind their backs, and began doing one-handed pushups side by side. It quickly became apparent who was the stronger and better one at doing these exercises when the 'jinchuriki' kept his stride at a ridiculously fast pace, while the Uchiha struggled to reach his target mark.

As the pair exercised, and Tayuya and Tama watched the boys power through their punishment, up in the middle row of the class, a couple of the students were making comments.

"There they go again. Another pushups for losers penalty… just like they've done for every other test so far," a blonde girl with her hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a purple top, purple skirt, fishnet leggings and bandages wrapped around her, remarked with her hands on her hips. Clearly impressed with what she was seeing, Ino giggled as she watched Naruto switch hands and continue. "Why do they insist on torturing themselves all the time?"

"I don't know. It's too troublesome to think about," Shikamaru replied, at the same time leaning against the back row, eating from a stick of dango and staring at the bottom of the room lazily. "I'd rather spend my break sleeping and not trying to burst a blood vessel."

Hearing his best friend's comment drew a nod of agreement from the rotund boy sitting in the chair beside him. "I don't think I'd ever be able to do the same exercises those three can do," Choji said while chowing down on a couple of rice balls from the box in front of him. The Akimichi with the green vest and scarf wrapped around his neck then exhaled in mild disappointment. "Exercising takes too much work. I think I'd throw up after the first hundred."

"You can say that again," Ino replied with a nod, watching for a few more seconds before an admiring smile crossed her lips. "Still though, at least they both look great… _and_ they're super fit. Don't you agree, forehead?" She asked this while turning to the pink haired girl in the red and white qipao dress, green spandex shorts, and red bow standing beside her.

At first distracted by the sight of the boys working out their penalty, Sakura quickly glanced back at her blonde classmate and smiled nervously. "Y-Yeah. Totally." After which she then went back to staring at the two males, her eyes resting on Naruto as he effortlessly went through his first four hundred one-handed pushups, and started making his way to five hundred. The sight of his diligent and unwavering expression had her place her hands together and rest them against her chest, as a rather approving look spread across her face.

Unbeknownst to her, while Ino and her gang were chatting away, up in the top row sitting in her favorite seat, a young, dark blue haired girl with a short cut, pale white eyes, and wearing an unzipped cream-colored hooded-jacket with fire symbols on both sleeves, a purple crop top, a purple skirt, and fishnet leggings, was also watching from up high as the boys exercised their recess away, unable to hide the amused smirk on her lips.

OOO

(After recess)

Going through all those pushups certainly gave Naruto and Sasuke quite the appetite when they were finally done… especially Naruto. So, almost as soon as they'd completed their penalty, the pair quickly ran out to grab something to eat before the bell sounded for the start of next period. Despite having gone through thousands upon thousands of pushups, neither one of the boys were out of breath or sweating in the slightest. In fact, the two of them looked exactly how they were when they first came to school earlier that morning as the entire class was led outside by Iruka for another taijutsu lesson on the courts.

Naruto, Tayuya and Sasuke walked outside together, with the flute player looking especially chipper at her little victory for the day. Of course, the jinchuriki promised she was going to pay for it when it came to their afternoon training session, something he loved to tease the girl about whenever they had something planned. Being the kind of girl that she was, the flute player responded to the boy's jabs with a few of her own, which served to draw a series of amused smirks from Sasuke as the three of them lined up beside the chalk drawn ring in the middle of the field, outside the main academy building.

Iruka-sensei was quick to get their lesson underway, outlining all of his instructions and the students' requirements for this particular class. This one was set to be a strictly taijutsu based session, with no weapons, equipment or tools to be used of any kind. Taijutsu specific techniques however were permitted, as were all other skills relevant to the area. It was also a good opportunity for the students to touch up on their fighting etiquette and what was expected of them during spars between allies.

The teacher picked the combatants out at random from his roll call and paired them up, assessing each of their levels of skill, strength, technique, strategy and fighting sense. The first few rounds went off without a hitch, with the students displaying varying levels of knowledge and tact. Shikamaru, as per typical routine, wasn't too keen on a head-to-head clash on the field, and merely opted out the moment the starting whistle was blown. Then Sasuke was called up to the plate, in which the prodigious Uchiha delivered a stellar show by first avoiding his opponent's attacks, before breaking through his guard and dropping him with an excellent take-down maneuver.

Half of the girls in the class cheered excitedly at the boy's performance, gushed over him when he eventually gave the _Sign of Reconciliation_ , and walked back to the sidelines with his hands in his pockets. Ino was probably the most vocal in her support of the youngster as she watched the class genius exit the stage.

This then led to the next round.

A loud thump rang out, followed by a 'clap' of impact when Hinata, showing a surprising burst of agility, darted into the purple haired Ami's range, parried her hook, and drove a palm strike right into her chest. The resulting chakra enhanced blow managed to knock the girl off her feet and flying out of the ring, where she then tumbled to a crumpled heap just outside the chalk lines. When the dust settled around the academy student, the rest of the class watched the girl struggle back to her feet, coughing and spluttering from having all the air knocked out of her lungs.

This was quickly followed by a series of amazed murmurs, as the students watched the calm Hinata straighten up, slip her hands in her pockets and look coolly across at the stunned Ami. The Hyuuga's expression conveyed nothing but seriousness and calm, indicating she hadn't put any effort behind her display at all.

Tayuya, watching with her arms crossed, nodded in an impressed manner. "Wow. That was sick."

"Her speed, form and technique was superb. Exactly what you'd expect from Hinata," Naruto remarked, which earned an additional nod from the observing Sasuke.

Marking down his observations, Iruka smiled across at the Hyuuga Clan heiress when the girl turned to face him. "Well done, Hinata-chan. That was an excellent bout. Your forward step-in for your last strike was fluid, and you showed a terrific sense of timing when you parried her attacks." He then looked over at the girl sitting up outside of the ring. "You put on a great performance too, Ami-chan. Just make sure to keep your guard up and follow up your attacks with a little more care." Seeing the child nod, he then pointed across the way with his pen. "Remember to give the _Sign of Reconciliation_ before you excuse yourselves from the ring."

Hinata quietly went over and helped Ami to her feet, extending her hand and allowing the other girl to take it. As soon as she'd hoisted the purple haired youngster back up, the Hyuuga locked fingers with her respectfully.

"Good fight," Hinata said gently with a smile. "Try not to throw such big swings next time. They offset your balance and make it easy for people to get in close." The manner in which she spoke was incredibly mature and proper, a stark contrast to a lot of the other kids in the class.

"Y-Yes. Thank you for going easy on me, Hinata-sama," Ami responded graciously, also smiling as she massaged her bruised ribs. As soon as that exchange was made, the pair walked back over to the rest of the group.

Along the way Hinata passed by where Naruto, Tayuya and Sasuke were standing. When the girl glanced in the blonde's direction and saw him watching her intently, the girl unexpectedly blushed and quickly hastened her pace, returning to her spot over by where all the other girls were standing. From there she kept her back turned to the blond, not willing to make further eye contact with him lest he see her glowing red face.

The jinchuriki in the white fur jacket blinked in confusion. "Huh. I wonder what that's all about." His question had Sasuke and Tayuya glance at each other, both of whom also shared a shrug.

Looking down at his clipboard, Iruka then smiled and lifted his hand towards the court. "Next up; Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka. Please take your places on either side of the ring."

His statement immediately had every single student in the area begin clamoring with interest and excitement, as the homeroom watched Naruto march out onto the field with Tama on his shoulder. When he stood on his side of the rectangular battle arena, Kiba took to the other side with his companion Akamaru sitting atop his head. As soon as both boys were out and facing one another, their animal friends quickly hopped off of their respective perches and bounded over to the sidelines. This left the boys all by themselves on the field.

"Break a leg, Naruto!" Tayuya called out, only to then stop for a second when she realized what she'd said. "Or… actually _don't_! Forget I said that!"

Sasuke snorted while turning his head away, "Knowing him… he'd probably do it anyway… or by accident." After all, the blond was freakishly strong. So it wouldn't surprise the Uchiha one bit if the kid managed to do that.

Looking between the two youngsters cautiously, Iruka cleared his throat and looked across at Naruto. "Alright. I know you two are really eager to do this. But please try not to get carried away. This is just a simple, routine spar between two classmates from the same village. Just because you're allowed to use whatever taijutsu that you know against your opponent, doesn't mean I want you two beating each other half to death. Go easy. Understand?" His instruction had the jinchuriki raise a hand and give him a thumbs-up, and also earned an understanding nod from Kiba.

Though Iruka expected all of the students to follow this rule, he said this mostly as a warning towards Naruto. After all, out of all the subjects his class's most famous troublemaker practiced on a daily basis, it was taijutsu and combat he specialized in most.

He owed this success to his long history of street brawling and hardcore, over-the-top training.

Hearing some of the girls in the crowd, namely the Uchiha girls, clamor excitedly over seeing Naruto out in the open and ready to fight, the incredibly worked-up Kiba huffed a little in annoyance and quickly pulled back the hood of his jacket. This allowed him to throw the blond his signature, canine-like grin. "Looks like it's you and me again, Naruto. Ready to get your ass kicked, finally?"

The blond chuckled, "You haven't been able to do that since we both entered the academy six years ago, Kiba." He then removed his hands from his pockets. "But… if it helps to make you feel any better, go right ahead."

Reaching up and cracking his knuckles, the brown haired Inuzuka did his best to leer menacingly, "I've always wondered how a fight between you and me would go down… a battle to find out exactly who the top dog is around here. Now we get to see if all those rumors about our class's resident delinquent are true or not." Flicking his fingers out, the boy then made the _Sign of Confrontation_ , and noticed his classmate do the same. "Just watch. This will be over in five seconds."

"Three," Naruto corrected, at the same time bowing respectfully to his fellow student. "Let's have fun." His statement had the Inuzuka leer excitedly.

After seeing both boys assume fighting stances, with the 'jinchuriki' just remaining where he was with his hands at his sides, Iruka nodded and brought his whistle up to his lips. "Alright… both fighters ready?" Noticing Kiba brace himself and widen his stance, the man took a deep breath. "Aaand…!" He then blew on his whistle, causing a shrill screech to echo across the field.

Without any further prompts, Kiba leant forward and charged straight at his opponent. After a few strides across the dirt court, the boy then sprang high into the air where, after curling his fingers into claws and cranking his upper body over, sent himself into a spin. _**"Tsūga!"**_ (Passing Fang) the Inuzuka shouted, before his body blurred out and transformed into a fast-moving drill head, which arced through the air and rocketed down towards Naruto at a blazing speed.

Iruka, seeing Naruto was still standing in place with a calm smile on his face, gaped in alarm and stepped forward. "NARUTO! LOOK OU-!"

He was unable to finish his shout of warning.

A loud, sickening crunch echoed across the school grounds when, from out of nowhere, the descending Kiba received a crushing blow to the side of his head. As it turns out, just a split second before the Inuzuka was about to collide with his opponent, Naruto had managed to spin in a clockwise direction and nail his opponent with a spinning back kick; his heel burying into the crook of Kiba's jaw right in the middle of his clan's signature _Passing Fang_ technique.

The instant Kiba was hit by Naruto's impressive counter, all the momentum he'd built up was effectively reflected back onto him, not only stopping his attack short, but sending him spiraling out of the air to crash outside of the chalk-drawn ring. When his body eventually stopped bouncing several yards away, it ended up lying in a battered heap at the edge of the field, twitching, eyes blank, and blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth.

He'd been knocked out cold.

As Naruto stood in the ring with his hands back into his pockets, he stared across at his unconscious target calmly, while the rest of the class standing behind him gaped in shock. Even Tayuya and Sasuke were stunned at how quickly and perfectly the jinchuriki had been able to dispatch his foe.

"Holy shit…" the redhead choked out.

"That was so cool!" Ino suddenly squealed, along with a collection of other girls from Naruto's little fan club. The rest of the students fell in step with their celebrations, with both boys and girls starting to applaud his display.

While the blond remained where he was, Iruka quickly jogged over to where Kiba was now lying and bent over. Checking the kid to see if he was alright, he went about checking the boy's neck and jaw area to see if anything was broken. About a minute and a half later he then breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Inuzuka cough and regain consciousness. "Oh, thank goodness. He's alright." The Chunin then glanced back at the ring, where he saw the jinchuriki contestant standing calmly with his hands in his pockets and a cheerful smile in play. _"I didn't think it was physically possible, but Naruto actually managed to counter Kiba's high-speed Tsūga right in the middle of his rotations. I heard that the speed used for that technique could exceed well over ten thousand rpm… and he was able to hit him with only two seconds of seeing the technique in action."_ That was some terrifying sense of timing… almost completely unnatural. And on top of that he was able to land a blow that was able to knock Kiba out without causing any permanent or serious damage whatsoever.

This confirmed for Iruka that Naruto was a fiercely talented fighter; a genius of hard work. That fact alone was enough to put a proud smile on the Chunin's face as he helped Kiba into a sitting position on the ground.

The Inuzuka groaned as he placed a hand on the side of his face, which had swollen up slightly from the blow he'd taken there. "Damn… what the hell hit me? A train?"

Iruka chuckled as the dazed boy looked up at him, "Close enough." Helping the child back to his feet, the Chunin then sifted his clipboard under his arm and turned back to the rest of his class, who he could see were still awing at Naruto. "That was a good, clean fight you two. Though Kiba showed great initiative, it takes a lot more than brute force and the element of surprise to fight an opponent on open ground… especially against someone who is both sharp and observant. Your timing in that instant was spot on, Naruto… and the speed and follow-through of your kick was executed perfectly. Well done."

The jinchuriki smiled and nodded gratefully to the man. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

"Now… let's wrap this up so that Kiba can go to the nurse's office for an ice-pack and a neck brace," the Chunin said, leading the Inuzuka back over to the ring so that he stood in front of Naruto.

Massaging his bruised collar and jaw, the brown haired boy glared up at Naruto momentarily. After seeing the blond smiling pleasantly back at him, the normally gruff kid gave a sigh and smirked.

"Well… guess I learned one thing from today," Kiba chuckled.

The jinchuriki tilted his head. "Don't charge in head first?"

"Never get on your bad side… _ever_ … otherwise you'll beat me to death," the boy continued, drawing a lighthearted laugh from both kids as the Inuzuka extended his hand to his opponent. His other hand remained on his face, rubbing the bruise. "Thanks for not breaking my neck."

Naruto responded by locking fingers with the boy and nodding. "Anytime, mate."

Once the pair separated following their respectful exchange, Iruka asked one of the students in the group to help Kiba back into the academy. As the two children ventured off the field along with an incredibly concerned Akamaru, Naruto returned to where Tayuya was standing, allowing Tama to scamper back up onto his shoulder and watch the rest of the matches unfold. He was promptly given a thump to the side of his shoulder by the flute player next to him.

"Nice move, shithead," the flute player said. "But don't you think you were cutting it a little too close there?" Honestly, even she nearly had a heart attack from how close Kiba came to mauling her roommate into submission.

Naruto chuckled, simultaneously reaching up to pat Tama on the head, "Nah. He was right where I wanted him to be. I had it all under control."

"Heh. Whatever you say," Tayuya replied, before then leaning against him playfully.

As the next fight quickly went underway and the rest of the class proceeded to look on, both Naruto and Tayuya failed to notice the group of girls staring at them from nearby.

Over the years, the entire female coalition of the next graduating year level had divided itself into two rival factions. While one group idolized and gushed over the Uchiha prodigy known as Sasuke, who was said to be the next big thing following his brother Itachi, the other half of the female body fawned over the class's resident jinchuriki and delinquent, Naruto. Understandably enough, the blonde's fan base was comprised mostly of Uchiha females, all of whom had come to know the orphan as the one who single-handedly stopped the massacre of their clan. There were also a handful of girls who originated from other families and had found a great deal of fascination in the young rabble-rouser, including Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuuga. Both of these girls were currently watching the boy quietly and with reverence, as he interacted with his roommate and ever-present animal companion Tama.

Amongst the numerous girls who were currently staring at the blond, from the famous to the anonymous, Sakura Haruno was one of them, regarding the young boy with a flattering gaze and a shade of red in her cheeks. Eventually, after observing him for a little while, the pinkette was snapped out of her reverie when Ino turned to her and asked her in a frantic manner what she thought of that epic kick, before proceeding to gab on about how mysterious and cool Naruto and Sasuke were.

While the lesson carried on through the entirety of second period, and Iruka continued to bestow the children with his wisdom and knowledge on combat, over by the academy doors leading into the main building, the Chunin and the students completely missed the sight of the pale-haired form of Mizuki leaning against the dark concrete. Dressed in the regular uniform of a Konoha shinobi with his headband wrapped around his arm, the man narrowed his eyes on the group of dotting youngsters gathered on the court; particularly Naruto.

Clicking his tongue when he saw Sasuke and Tayuya chatting with him, and the blonde and redhead share a laugh sometime afterwards, the man then uncrossed his arms and stomped back into the building.

"Disgusting," Mizuki whispered under his breath. _"Those kids hanging around the demon fox… laughing and having fun like he's one of them… it's sick."_

OOO

(Later that day)

The rest of the classes at the academy went on without any problems or complications. After Kiba returned from the nurse's office with his neck in a brace and a patch on his cheek, Iruka was then able to set the class up with their last assignment for the year. As the Genin Exams were only a month away, he expected them all to have their next project finished before that period, so that his students could focus studying for both the written and physical portions of their final assessments. Like with every other test, he expected them to give a hundred and ten percent of their commitment and abilities, as it was these last few weeks that counted the most to their future careers and development.

The children were dismissed later that afternoon and as the entire academy poured out onto the streets, Naruto and Tayuya were followed out by Kurumi, Yumi and Mirai Uchiha; the same trio of girls that'd given the blond gifts years earlier for his heroic actions. The girls flocked around the boy, chattering animatedly with him and talking about how amazing he looked today. The jinchuriki of course accepted their praise and compliments with a gracious smile, giving a laugh when Kurumi good-humoredly latched onto his limb.

"I can't believe you're still wearing the gift I gave you," Kurumi remarked, spotting the hand-knitted scarf wrapped around the orphan's arm. "Is it really that good?"

"Oh yeah," the blonde chuckled, at the same time glancing down at the specially made piece of clothing secured to his jacket. "It's brought me a lot of good luck and warmth over the last few years. There's no way I'm just going to throw it away and forget about it." He then smiled back at the girl while the others flanked around him. "It's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever given me."

These words had the raven haired Uchiha with short, curly hair beam and blush brightly. "That's so sweet."

"Shithead's a sweet guy. He's not cold and calloused like those other assholes you find on the streets. He genuinely cares about the people around him and does his best to make them happy," Tayuya spoke up, drawing the girls' gazes towards her as she walked alongside them with her hands in her pockets. "Honestly, it can be kind of annoying sometimes." She said this while winking across at her roommate.

The silver haired Yumi in the green kimono battle-dress giggled and looked at the spiky haired street fighter. "Well, I'm glad that he goes through the effort to do that. It shows he's a very caring person."

"Just don't let other people take advantage of you for being too nice," the brown haired girl with the ponytail and purple knit jumper, Mirai, stated with a smile. "We wouldn't want you getting into any trouble because you were just trying to be a good neighbor."

Naruto laughed as he felt the three girls gazing at him intently. "Don't worry. I've got a good head on my shoulders and a lot of people I can trust. I'll make sure that never happens."

After conversing with the trio a little further down the road, the three cousins soon left the blonde's company and headed on their way, leaving him and his roommate to their devices. As soon as they watched Kurumi and her band trot off down the road, Tayuya turned to her training partner and threw him a teasing grin.

"Look at you, Mr. Popular. Can't even go one day without being ogled. How does it feel to have your own gaggle of girls escorting you out the front door?" the flute player asked while elbowing the boy in the side teasingly.

Naruto chuckled while looking back at Tayuya. "It's… not that bad actually. At least these days I don't feel like people are going to walk through me like I'm invisible… or write me off as just some no-good troublemaker they don't want to have anything to do with." He then gave the girl a considerate once over. "You feel the same way too, right?"

"Yeah. It feels kind of nice… to be acknowledged and praised by the villagers, instead of dismissed and ignored," Tayuya answered, at the same time resting her hands on her hips and appearing greatly humbled. "Makes you think back to the days when we didn't have anything or anyone to begin with. And now look at us."

The sight of the girl's softened gaze put a warm smile on the blonde's face. "Well, you were always amazing and special to me, Tay-chan." His comment was followed up by a happy bark from Tama.

Blushing to the roots of her hair, the redhead quickly took a swing at the boy, who dodged effortlessly and laughed. "You're just saying that to tease me, aren't you?!"

Instead of following-through on what the girl suspected was a mischievous streak, Naruto beamed sincerely. "No. I mean it. You're the smartest, kindest, and most amazing girl I've ever met. No matter how many days go by, I always think to myself how grateful I am that I ran into you, and that we became such good friends."

Staring at the boy for a moment with wide eyes, Tayuya suddenly felt her heart start hammering fiercely against her chest when she saw the look shining in the blonde's eyes. All of a sudden the tomboyish kunoichi-in-training felt the need to look away, as she now went to great efforts to hide her feelings of embarrassment. "I… feel the same way about you too, shithead."

Seeing the girl play with the end of one of her red locks then prompted Naruto to look up thoughtfully. "Still… since you and I are so popular in the academy now, it kind of gives me an idea of what Sasuke feels like every day."

Despite the fact that one of the two boys came from a clan that was in a state of post-genocidal recovery and the other was previously touted to be a danger to the rest of society by the adults, none of the kids seemed to mind it. In fact, both of them had built a reputation for themselves as being incredibly gifted shinobi in training; two of four exceptionally talented youngsters in the academy who were considered geniuses in the field – with the other two being Hinata Hyuuga and Tayuya. Together, the four of them formed the talent square, in which each of them held a corner as the strongest and smartest children in the school.

Though Naruto was still scorned by a majority of the adults, there was no denying that his reputation and actions have spread over the greater populace, and caused a rather positive influx of recognition in him from the less corrupted members of the community.

"Bah. That guy doesn't give two shits about his fan club," Tayuya remarked with a smirk. "You on the other hand just love the attention." She then lifted a finger and drilled it into the boy's temple, causing him to squirm out of reach. "Don't let it get to your head, otherwise it'll inflate your ego and send you floating up into space."

Naruto grinned in response. "Now I know _that's_ not true."

"You know what I mean, idiot," the flute player replied, at the same time giving him a shove and causing the blond to laugh.

After a quick walk through town the pair went for a quick evening training session in their secret bamboo grove. As expected, Naruto delivered on his promise to torment Tayuya throughout the entire routine he set for her, and received the same treatment from the girl in kind, which took the form of her trying to kill him through cardio. The pair took turns on hitting the bamboo pads and practicing their jutsu with one another, to the point that by the end they were both sweating up a storm. It was all in good fun though, and once both of them were through working their muscles to the brink of collapse, they went out to grab a bite to eat from _Ichiraku's Ramen_.

When they eventually returned to their second story apartment on the eastern side of the village, they immediately settled down for a study session. Picking subjects and sharing notes, the pair hit the books hard, using all of their knowledge they'd gained to finish the projects set for them by Iruka. After a couple of hours of hard work and going through text after text, the pair then turned in for the night, with Tayuya dropping out first and falling asleep on top of her futon.

Hell, she didn't even bother to get under the covers and just crashed in an oversized grey shirt and panties.

As her peaceful snores filled the room, Naruto sat awake by the window, reading a geography book under the light of his table lamp. As he sat there, writing down notes in his scroll about all the significant capitals and villages within the enormous region of the _Land of Fire_ , the boy in the white shirt and orange shorts was then joined by the little white form of Tama. Hopping up onto the desk to join her friend, the fox wagged her tail as she ambled over to eye his work, from which she then received a gentle pat on the head.

"There's so much of the world to take in, Tama-chan… countries, villages, capitals, towns, farms, forests, mountains, deserts, lakes… I don't know where to even begin," Naruto said, feeling the vixen respond to his pat with an affectionate head rub. "My entire life has been spent cooped up inside of this village, day in and day out doing the same routine. I haven't had a single chance to see anything outside of these walls… not even the countryside." Sighing despondently, the boy stared at the maps in front of him for several more seconds before drumming his finger. "Tayuya-chan has already visited a few of the neighboring towns while she was wandering the area. If she was able to do that, why can't I?"

Hearing the jinchuriki loud and clear, the white fox then looked down at the sheets of geography he was perusing over, as well as the various books detailing their nation's history. After a moment of scanning the main document, Tama then wandered over to a part of the map and placed her paw over it. She then proceeded to scrape it, whimpering as she looked up at Naruto.

"Hmm?" the blond murmured with a blink as he leaned over to see what the fox was probing at. He quickly saw the vixen had scratched out a small village in a country north of _Hi no Kuni_ , near the village of _Yugakure_ in the Land of Hot Water. After watching her glance between him and the large map a couple of times, while simultaneously drooping her ears, Naruto's mind quickly came around. "Is that… the village that you came from, Tama-chan?"

The white fox responded with an affirmative bark, which had the blond cross his arms, lean back, and scrunch his face up thoughtfully. Naruto then took a moment to look across at his vixen companion in consideration.

He'd known Tama for going on four years now, just about as long as Tayuya, and the three of them had formed an incredibly close bond with one another. Though a human and a fox hanging out with each other may have seemed a little strange and even taboo to some people, due to the way the pair interacted and played with one another, it was easy to see that they'd become the best of friends. While Naruto found human companionship, conversation and a kindred spirit in Tayuya, he found comfort and conscience in Tama. They'd spent so much time with one another that both of them practically knew what the other person was thinking. Whenever Naruto wanted to train, Tama was there to accommodate him, and whenever she wanted something to eat, the jinchuriki would make something for her.

It was a completely synergetic relationship; a link that Naruto also shared with his firecracker roommate. One could even say that Tama was practically family… the one person of their group that kept them on the straight and narrow.

But here was the thing. Even after all these years of getting to know each other, Naruto had no idea where the fox had come from or what she really was. She was definitely no ordinary fox and certainly didn't act like one- especially with her giant fox transformation he'd seen her use several times- yet it was these peculiarities that the blond welcomed and adored. However, it stood to reason that she must've come from somewhere, and if there was a chance Naruto could find out more about her or even take her back to the home she came from, he would do it if she asked.

It was pretty much this last thought that sealed the deal for him. So, after seeing the vixen scrape at the map one last time, the casually dressed Naruto grinned.

"Do you want me to go over to your place for a visit?" When he heard Tama give one last bark and a happy wag of her tail, the blond nodded. "Well… I suppose it couldn't hurt to take a few days off school to have a little cross-country trip." Naruto then glanced across the room at Tayuya, whom he saw smile and snuggle up to her covers. "I hope Tay-chan doesn't mind too much."

OOO

(The next morning)

It was very early in the day and dawn hadn't even broken yet when Naruto, dressed in his white, fur-hooded jacket with blue trim, blue scarf, maroon shirt, black pants, sandals, and carrying a brown duffle bag, headed for the outskirts of _Konohagakure_ with Tama in tow.

Before he left his apartment for what he suspected would be a long trip, the orphan delinquent made sure to leave a note for Tayuya, explaining that he was taking Tama back to her homeland, which he'd circled on a map, and that he wouldn't be back for at least a week. Leaving her instructions to inform Iruka-sensei that he was stuck at home due to a cold and that he would have his assignment completed on his return, the blonde then made a straight path for the northern borders of the village. Following his vixen friend through the trees, the pair came upon a tunnel, which was hidden at the base of the perimeter wall in a rocky outcrop behind a thick growth of bushes.

It being a natural formation, with the wall having to pass over various other ridges, bluffs and rivers along the way, it wasn't that much of a stretch for something like this to have been overlooked, and also explained how some animals were able to sneak into the village from outside. As full proof as Konoha's defensive wall and sensing perimeter was, there were still gaps in it allowing rodents, birds, and other small mammals to sneak inside. So, making sure to stay out of sight of the border guards, Naruto and Tama slipped through the tunnel and followed it outside of the village, using the fox's extra sensory abilities to dodge the various trip seals, sensors, and wires surrounding the grounds beyond the wall; aspects that the young man took note of as well. Tama was even able to lead him past the chakra sensor wall- the invisible barrier erected around Konohagakure that apparently ran on a specific pattern that the fox was able to detect.

Soon enough, after making it to the nearest highway, with a backpack full of supplies and Tama resting comfortably on his shoulder, Naruto started following the road north, using the transporter highways and messenger routes to get him there.

The next several hours seemed to just fly by as Naruto ambled through _Hi no Kuni's_ countryside, watching forests, farmlands and fields pass him by on both sides. The rivers winding through the rolling hills and mountains, reflecting the clear blue sky above and the rising sun, set the perfect backdrop for the blonde's first foray into what he perceived as unexplored territory. Every hill he saw was a new one. Every person he passed on the road was a new face. And every turn he took led him to another area he'd never been to. He made sure to stop every once in a while to take in the scenery, catch the breeze and soak in the sunlight, before then continuing on his way with Tama at a brisk, yet liberating pace.

Hell, he'd even taken the time to stop by a small cottage on the side of the road to help an old woman out with some heavy lifting and wood cutting. In exchange for his help, the elderly female leant him a straw hat to protect him from the hot sun, a gift which he happily thanked her for.

As the morning slowly ticked by, Naruto was unable to keep the smile from his face as he carried on walking, nodding to every person he passed and waving to the farmers working out on the rice patties. This journey… this little quest he was undertaking, was filling him with a sense of freedom and excitement the likes of which he'd never felt before. Though this was definitely his first time outside of _Konohagakure_ , it most certainly wasn't going to be his last, as he knew without a doubt that when he finally became a shinobi, he would be going on plenty of missions to different villages and different countries. It all depended on what kind of assignments he was given.

As long as he got to go on more trips like this one, he didn't have anything to complain about.

Stopping on the side of the road for lunch with Tama allowed him to catch his breath and rest his legs, while simultaneously take in the great view of the distant mountains. Once his stomach was filled and his body had been rested, the jinchuriki then headed into the next town to buy some more food for the road, and maybe a small souvenir for Tayuya. It was a small village situated in the middle of a lush collection of farmlands and rice fields, and sat alongside a running river with a bridge arcing over it. Since there were several different roads coming in from multiple directions and leading into the village, Naruto figured he'd be able to find a straight highway that would take him all the way to the _Land of Hot Water_.

So the boy ambled into the farm village, where he quickly happened upon the district's central market…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Making their way through the crowd of bustling villagers crisscrossing the main road, dodging farmers and tradesmen moving from food stall to food stall, a group of three oddly dressed youngsters were currently exploring the area and getting a general layout of the land.

Based on their individual uniforms and headbands they were wearing, with four individual strokes arranged into a quadrilateral symbol on each of the protective plates, it was clear that they weren't from this country. Each of them was about thirteen years old and were dressed completely different from one another.

The girl on the right was a slim, fit youngster with tanned, brown skin, long silver hair that grew all the way down her back and tied into two pig tails, yellow eyes, and a cool yet cute face. She was wearing a dark grey short skirt, thick white leg warmers that went right up her shins, and a traditional red, buttoned up tai chi shirt with gold trim, which she had mostly undone to show off her taut stomach and the white bandage bra underneath. She had no other accessories, pouches or holders on her except a backpack.

The boy in the middle was a tall, slim youngster about half a head higher than his female companions, with sharp orange eyes, brown hair cut short on the right side, but kept long and combed over on his left. He was adorned in a light blue kimono robe with the hem stopping at the knees over a fishnet top, dark pants and blue sandals. He also had a pipe slipped into the band of the yellow obi worn around his waist with his forehead protector sewn into its front, and a scroll and pouch hanging off his back.

The third member of the team was another girl, with a trim, fit build, smooth ivory skin, messy, shoulder-length black hair with two licks hanging on either side of her head, giving her an incredibly tomboyish appearance, and a pair of crimson eyes. However, not afraid to hide her body, the girl was wearing the equivalent of a fishnet leotard, which started at her chest and stopped at her thighs. Covering her chest and hips was a black spandex tube top and black spandex tube shorts, which she wore over her revealing, figure-hugging armor, with her forehead protector worn around her neck. Finishing her look was a pair of khaki arm guards and black boot sandals that went up her shins.

Not carrying any pouches, the girl had a holder on her back carrying two long spears wrapped from top to bottom in sealing paper. One of them was a crimson spear of about two meters in length, and the other was gold and one point four meters in length. Both of them gave the girl a very intimidating appearance, despite being completely encased.

Completely overwhelmed by the various sights and smells of their surroundings, the foreign trio bounced from one market stand to the next, indulging themselves in the various delicacies on display and the souvenirs on for sale. Now finding themselves in the heart of the village's district for commerce and trade, the three visitors from out of town blended and immersed themselves completely into the atmosphere.

Well, by three…

"Uhhgh… I'm so bored," the raven haired spear girl moaned, lifting her head up and running her hands down her face tiredly. "We've been traveling for four days now and nothing has happened. Why couldn't sensei pick a mission with a little more action in it, like last time?"

"Jeez. Where's all of this energy coming from?" the boy in the middle asked, addressing the girl with a cool tone and a puzzled expression. "Aren't you tired of hunting down bandits and mercenaries on the islands?"

"At least on those missions I'm able to do something than just walk around with my hands in my pockets," the girl responded miserably, bringing said hands up and clenching them. "I'm a kunoichi warrior! A fighter! Not a delivery girl! I need to get out there and let off some steam, dattebaka!"

Her kimono wearing friend cracked a smile and shook his head. "With that kind of fighting spirit, I bet you'd make even the hardcore members of the Kaguya Clan jealous." His remark had Mae deflate animatedly, allowing the boy to glance forward thoughtfully. Their third team member on the other hand didn't pay them any mind, and simply strolled along with a neutral expression in play. "Even if this does seem dull and uneventful, it's still a C-Rank mission. That means when we get back to our village, we'll be able to add it to our records as completed. That means more experience and more points for our files." Obviously he was looking at the more positive side behind what this assignment could offer them.

His friend on the other hand had a different opinion.

"Yeah. But it's still a crappy delivery mission. There's nothing in it. Just a lot of walking, a lot of stopping, and a lot of sightseeing," Mae stated, still acting salty as she kicked at the floor and scowled at the dirt. "I can't believe you're not throwing a fit over this, Utakata-kun."

"That's because I'm not fussed about what kinds of missions we're sent on. That, and I actually find this one to be incredibly relaxing," the boy informed, at the same time watching as a husband and wife couple cut across the road in front of them. Utakata sighed contently as they continued strolling along. "I think it's nice to get a bit of downtime from our busy schedule every once in a while to travel across the mainland. The valleys and fields around here are nice and warm… and the views are actually quite stunning."

Mae, still having her face scrunched up in boredom, then turned to her silver haired teammate suspiciously. "And why aren't you kicking up a fuss about this, Ryofu-chan? Don't you want to go out on more exciting missions to kick bad guy butt as well?"

The young martial artist shrugged back, at the same time pulling up a stick of dango and popping it into her smiling lips. "I agree with Utakata-kun. There'll be plenty more times for us to get into fights when we get back to _Kirigakure_." She then gestured towards her teammates. "Taking a break every once in a while isn't so bad. Just relax and go with the flow."

The spear girl answered with a sigh. "Yeah. But this still doesn't make this any less of a drag."

"Being a shinobi isn't all about fighting, Mae-chan. You should know this already," Ryofu replied calmly. "There's a lot of tact, stealth and intelligence involved."

"I know. I know. Conduct yourself accordingly as a kunoichi of _Kirigakure_ should," the black haired girl pouted, at the same time slipping her hands into her pockets and continuing to sulk. "Maybe I'll get lucky and be attacked by a bear on the way home."

Utakata and Ryofu decided to just ignore their best friend's misery… and her weird way of coping with it. After sharing a humorous smile with one another, the trio continued on exploring, leaving Mae to drag her feet after them. Stopping by a biscuit stall, the silver haired member of their group quickly became excited at all the sweet and crunchy treats on display. Her friends wisely took a back seat as they watched their teammate passively ogle all the desserts sitting in the baskets across cart, upon which Ryofu bought a bag full of cakes and biscuits with the intent on sharing them with her teammates and her teacher when she came around to pick them up later.

Moving on from the stall, Ryofu passed her picks across to Utakata and Ryofu, both of whom accepted the treats with open hands. "Try these. They're very good." Almost immediately after handing the cakes over the kunoichi pulled up another square slice and took a bite out of it. A moan of appreciation left her lips as she savored the taste. "Man. I can't remember having an apple cake this rich before."

Noting the girl's reaction had Utakata smile in amusement. "I never knew you liked these sorts of things."

Mae chuckled as she inspected the small slice in her hand, "As cool as she acts, Ryo-tan does have her soft and weak spots." She then took a big bite out of the dessert, at the same time their group started approaching a crossroad in the middle of the market district where the pathway opened up.

"Hey. I'm allowed to have my tastes and hobbies, aren't I? I mean, our village may have been called 'The Bloody Mist' not too long ago, but that doesn't mean we have to act like we come from it," Ryofu replied, before then scarfing down the rest of her treat and, after swallowing it, spoke with a more dignified tone of voice. "It's not a crime to have one or two guilty pleasures in your life."

Utakata chuckled and took another nibble from his cake, "You got me there."

It was then Ryofu glanced over at her male teammate inquisitively. "By the way, have you found out any more news about the next Chunin Exams that are coming up? I heard that the next one is supposed to be pretty big." She asked this as the three of them continued straight through the crossroads in the middle of the shopping area, at the same time completely missing the sight of Mae's gaze focusing on a blond haired boy in a straw hat and a little white fox on his shoulder walking towards them from the crowd ahead.

Utakata glanced back at the silver haired girl thoughtfully while they moved aside to let an ox-drawn carriage walk by. "Mizukage-sama has postponed the coming exams for next season. At first I thought it was because of the sudden string of pirate attacks inside our borders, but now I think it's because the other villages are planning on putting together one big event. Something about 'building new relations' and stuff."

"You don't say?" Ryofu murmured while their group ambled passed the spiky haired blond, who Mae spared a glance with. "Any idea when this is going down?"

"Probably sometime in the year," Utakata replied as he finished his cake slice.

Just as the three were about to leave the crossroad, Mae unexpectedly flicked her wrist and produced a kunai with a red ribbon tied at the end of it. A split second before she turned around and chucked it at the blond that'd just walked past them.

Her blade shot through the air like an arrow. But just when it seemed like it was about to hit the boy in the back, the spiky haired youngster suddenly hoisted his duffle bag a little higher up his shoulder, catching the blade that impaled the leather and the items he had inside. Upon which Naruto stopped, with Tama's attention snapping back towards the girl that'd thrown the weapon.

All the villagers in the area ceased what they were doing when they noticed the commotion now unfolding in the middle of the junction. Turning around as well when the voices around them dissipated, Ryofu and Utakata watched as Mae suddenly lowered her arm and began walking out into the middle of the road.

"What's wrong?" Utakata asked suspiciously.

The raven haired spear girl smirked, "Nothing. I just… feel like having some fun."

Stopping just a few feet from her teammates, Mae then reached up and promptly drew the longest spear from her back. Spinning it expertly between her fingers and causing the metallic weapon to hum, she then swung it down and held the spear towards the floor; assuming a stance that made her intentions all too clear.

Realizing what was happening, Ryofu sighed and crossed her arms. "Not again."

The rest of the crowd filing through and around the area quickly caught sight of what was going on and moved back. Forming a ring around the intersection, the villagers' gazes fixated on the two youngsters as Mae, holding her ground and weapon at the ready, sized up the blond in the white jacket and straw hat, who also didn't move for several seconds.

Eventually the boy with the whiskers turned around, promptly dropping his pack to the floor and glaring at the girl from under the shade of his straw hat. As if reading the air, Tama hastily sprang off of the blonde's shoulder and scampered over to the side of the road, where the vixen sat down and kept a close watch of the _Kirigakure_ Genin.

What followed from there was a tense, western-style standoff between the traveller and the spear girl, both of whom were glaring at one another and causing quite a stir throughout the area. Pressure quickly filled the air, silencing the crowd as everyone noticed the harsh glare being given by the young blonde traveler and the confident smirk reflected on Mae's face. The atmosphere was further set by a thick cloud drifting in front of the sun above, causing a cool shadow to fall over the duo and the crowd gathered around them.

With the players established, it was now only a matter of time before one of them made the first move.

Moments later, watching from a nearby fruit stand, a keenly observing and nervous shop keeper accidentally pushed a standing abacus off of his desk, which fell and hit the ground.

The loud clatter that echoed out was like a starting gun, as Mae charged forward in a blur and caused Naruto's eyes to widen in surprise at how fast she was. Dragging the tip of her spear along the floor as she arced around the junction, the _Kirigakure_ Genin then took a swing at her foe the moment she was in range. Seeing the attack flying at him prompted the 'jinchuriki' to sway back and avoid the weapon, drawing a collective gasp from the crowd as a trail of dust and gravel was flicked through the air. When his body darted around her, Mae quickly changed directions and struck at him a second time, forcing the blond into a hasty retreat.

Backpedaling as fast as he could across the road, Naruto began ducking and zigzagging across the square, avoiding the raven haired girl as she came at him with a flurry of attacks. Spinning her long spear around her body in a masterful display of skill and martial arts, the Genin lashed out at the jinchuriki with lightning fast, wide swings of her two meter weapon, prompting him to repeatedly change directions and back away to avoid her strikes. When Mae jumped at him and swung down at the boy with an axe kick, Naruto sprang back, instinctively dodging the wide arc of her staff when she landed. The instant she touched down, the kunoichi spun at him again with another lightning fast thrust, determined to not give the boy time to breathe.

With the way Mae moved so fluidly across the ground while striking out at her opponent with those impressive yet flamboyant moves, it gave the impression that the young girl was dancing rather than fighting. And with the way Naruto responded to her every attack and every step, it transformed their intricate exchange into something of a deadly ballet.

Watching closely from the sidelines, Utakata raised an eyebrow. "That guy… he's good…"

"He's _very_ good," Ryofu also observed, her eyes narrowing as she watched the blonde youngster effortlessly dart around her best friend's attacks.

As Naruto circled swiftly on the edge of his foe's range, ducking her strikes as her metal pole hummed through the air with every swing, the blond gave a huff and grabbed the staff holster he had hanging behind him. When Mae cocked her spear back, she then started thrusting out at him with a series of lightning fast jabs, forcing the jinchuriki to duck and weave between her long-reaching blows. After seeing him dodge her last thrust, the grinning Genin quickly brought her spear back and, performing an acrobatic twirl while spinning her weapon around her, struck at her target with a swift, downward blow.

The tip of Mae's spear sliced through the rim of his straw hat, with the very end of the weapon cutting right across the edge of Naruto's left eyebrow. A spurt of blood hit the floor as the would-be jinchuriki, gritting his teeth, then brought up his Bo staff holder with his left hand and blocked his opponent's reverse swing. Her pole struck his holder, allowing his right hand to grab her hand over her pole as the pair grappled, circling on the spot before Mae shoved him towards the edge of the road.

The crowd backed away in alarm when the two kids suddenly skidded to a stop just three feet from them, with Naruto's feet digging into the floor and Mae pushing against him, her spear held across their bodies as its shaft pressed against his quiver.

Their limbs trembling as they both held their ground, a still calm-looking Naruto strained as he attempted to push back his opponent. Much to his surprise however, he found that she wasn't budging an inch. _"This girl… she's strong…"_ This much was apparent from the way her sleek muscles were bulging underneath her fishnet armor and her feet were holding steady against the floor. Looking back at the moves and the skill she'd displayed so far caused a bead of sweat to run down the side of the jinchuriki's face and an excited grin to form across his lips. _"Man… I haven't fought against someone this tough in a_ _ **long**_ _time."_

Seeing the boy's smirk had the still smiling Mae chuckle. "Why haven't you drawn your weapon yet?" she asked, obviously referring to the holster Naruto was carrying. "Are you really a shinobi… or is that Bo staff holder just a fake?"

Naruto, ignoring the blood trickling down his face from the cut over his brow, grunted back in response, "Easy. I don't need it." The moment he said that the boy then did something completely unexpected.

Giving way to the girl, he allowed Mae to suddenly fall forward as he removed his hand from his holster and thrust an elbow across her face, grazing her forehead as she pulled back at the last second. The act of which allowed Naruto to give her a firm and well-timed teep to the stomach, pushing the kunoichi away and allowing her to take a swing at him with her spear. Ducking the pole, the blond then dove into her range and threw a swinging right overhand, which arced towards the girl's head at a blazing speed.

Spotting the incoming fist had Mae gasp and swiftly bring her spear down, a split second before Naruto's knuckles impacted the pole with a deafening clang. The shockwave that followed blew across the entire crossroad, stunning the crowd as the spear girl was sent flying back several feet from her opponent. Skidding along the floor to a grinding halt with her weapon held defensively in front of her, the _Kirigakure_ Genin then looked up with a start.

Utakata and Ryofu reflected similar reactions, as both children gaped at the blond with his arm still extended in a punch. He then slowly retracted it, returning to a normal, fighting position.

As Mae stared, her right eye then blinked when something got into it and she brushed her fingers across her brow. When she pulled it away she saw blood smeared across her palm, which quickly told the girl that the elbow the blond had caught her with had opened a cut on her forehead. This then put an excited grin on the raven haired girl's face, who then leered up at the serious-looking blond standing in front of her.

"Touché," Mae commented, silently referring to the cut she made to _his_ brow. After shaking it off, the girl frowned, widened her stance and readjusted her grip. Upon which she then dropped low and sprang into the sky.

The crowd and Naruto watched the girl soar into the air above the junction and, after spinning the spear above her head, plummeted towards the boy at a blinding speed.

" _ **Shiku Boruto!"**_ (Crimson Bolt) Mae roared, thrusting down with her attack the moment she was close.

Timing her attack at the last second, Naruto dove to the side, avoiding her blow which struck the ground like a bolt of lightning. The force behind her thrust matched the speed she'd built, a shockwave reverberating across the crossroad as the ground literally split down the center, causing a small fissure to form from the point of impact from one side of the intersection to the other. The villagers in the path of the resulting crevice stumbled away in alarm, as the vibrations generated from the blow could be felt all the way across the suburb.

Naruto meanwhile skidded to a stop several yards away, looking just as stunned as the rest of his audience as he watched the raven haired kunoichi yank her spear out of the floor, spin it around her body all cool-like, before assuming a new stance, the weapon held firmly in front of her.

"Your move, whiskers," Mae spoke up, using the boy's facial birthmarks in a teasing manner.

This was a challenge the blond wasn't going to take lightly. Widening his stance, Naruto extended his hands into fists, taking a very mantis, Muay Boran form as he glared across at the Genin. His feet slowly ground into the dirt, firming up his position.

" _ **Kūken."**_ (Void Fist) the boy whispered, catching Mae's attention.

Without warning, the blond darted forward in a white and yellow blur, kicking up a blast of dust and causing a second shockwave to ripple across the district as he charged at his foe. Catching the spear user by surprise, the boy performed two wide strides, before leaping into the air and throwing his left leg forward. Mae anticipated the coming blow and, spinning her staff about, jabbed it up at the youngster to impale him.

"Got yah, dattebaka!" the girl shouted. However, just when she thought she was about to hit her foe, she suddenly saw his leg kick her staff away, knocking her spear off course and causing her to miss. _"What?"_ She then watched the incoming blonde switch leg positions midair and throw his intended attack at her.

" _ **Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) His knee flew towards the girl's face, aiming to knock her out as his leg broke the sound barrier.

Reacting in alarm, the girl suddenly reached back and drew her second spear, swinging it out to intercept his attack. In a blindingly fast exchange, the girl managed to stop his blow, his knee slamming into the metal pole with a deafening clang. Another loud thunderclap rippled over the junction, fracturing the ground beneath them across the entire crossroad and punching a crater into the earth. A split second later the two children were sent flying away from one another, with Naruto skidding to a stop several yards away and Mae also digging her feet and weapons into the ground.

As the blond stood on guard and at the ready, the spear girl stared back at him in astonishment, before a broad grin formed on her lips.

While the two kids were so focused on one another, they failed to notice an observing Ryofu and Utakata look up, as they suddenly saw something float down from the sky above them.

"Now _that's_ more like it," Mae chirped, swinging both her spears around, propping her golden pole across her shoulders and dragging the tip of her red one across the floor. She then licked her lips excitedly. "Making me use two spears? The only person who's ever done that is Ryo-tan… and she's scary when she gets serious."

Naruto smirked, "You're not half bad yourself." He then breathed a sigh as he wiped the blood dripping down his face. "It's been four years since the last time another person my age has actually gotten me _this_ worked up."

"Well then… why don't we make this battle a little more interesting?" Mae asked, impaling her golden spear into the floor and reaching for the sealing paper wrapped around her red spear. The moment her fingers tugged at the covering, Naruto braced himself and reached for his Bo staff holder. "Let's see what else you've-"

"Mae!"

The pair were cut off when Utakata suddenly called out from the sidelines, drawing the fighters' and the crowds' attention over to the two observing _Kirigakure_ Genin. When they looked, they saw the brown haired boy holding a large water bubble over his palm, which the young male had been previously staring at. After it popped, he then turned to his combative teammate and frowned.

"Sensei is calling us. She wants us to meet up with her at the west gate to continue our delivery," Utakata informed, narrowing his eyes on the girl. "Now."

Furrowing her brow, Mae then clicked her tongue in disappointment and rose up to full height, twirling her long staff around and sheathing it onto her back. During which time she reached over and grabbed her golden staff. "Damn… and it was just starting to get fun too." Bringing her second staff up to prop over her shoulders, she then lazily curled her arm around it and propped it there. "Sorry about this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our duel short. Duty calls." She nodded to the boy. "My name's Mae by the way. What's yours?"

Naruto smiled, dropping out of his stance as Tama bounded over to him from her spot at the side of the road. "Well, most of the people in my village call me 'the yellow demon', while the others call me the 'delinquent crusher.' But, personally, I prefer the name Naruto Uzumaki."

Blinking in surprise, Mae then broke out a wide grin and nodded respectfully. "Naruto, huh? Cool. I'll remember that for the next time we meet." Slinging her golden staff out, she then slipped it onto her back to join the second one, before turning and showing off the side of her fishnet uniform. When she did, she revealed a familiar red whirlpool symbol sewn into the material. "I never thought I'd ever run into another member of my clan all the way out in this part of the country… but, as it so happens, here you are." Her statement causing Naruto's jaw to drop, the raven haired girl gave one last, cheeky smile, formed a hand seal and dispelled the henge she had enacted upon her hair; her black locks going up in a puff of smoke and revealing a head of red hair underneath. After presenting this view to her stunned audience, the kunoichi sashayed her hips and waved good-bye. "Take care of yourself, cousin."

Leaving Naruto to gawk after her, the now unmasked youngster rejoined her friends on the side of the ruined junction and headed off down the west highway. As they marched through the crowd of stumped villagers, Ryofu went over to her friend and bonked her on the top of the head with her fist.

"Ow!" Mae shouted before glaring back at the silver haired kunoichi irritably. "What was that for, dattebaka?"

"For being an idiot," Ryofu replied sternly as the three of them continued on.

"It's bad enough that you got into another fight with a random vagrant, but then you had to destroy the market's main intersection?" Utakata asked, at the same time regarding the girl's hair color and the freshly made cut across her brow, which she was currently cleaning with a tissue. "It's a good thing I stopped you from carrying on with that fight, otherwise you would've ended up destroying the entire suburb… maybe even the whole village."

Mae then gave a chuckle as she placed a hand on her hip. "Hey. It was worth it. There hasn't been a single Genin in _Kirigakure_ who's been able to go toe-to-toe with me in a fight besides you and Ryo-chan, and on my very first trip to the mainland I actually manage to find an opponent who was able to cut me." She then reached up to pad the scratch on her brow once again, where she could still see traces of blood on the paper. A chuckle then left her lips. "Wow. He was incredible."

"Not to mention related," Ryofu spoke with her hands in her shirt's pockets. "I gotta say, for a vagabond, he was quite a remarkable one." The way he moved, the way he dodged and the way he fought… even though most of his techniques didn't follow the standard norm for shinobis, he still had a hell of a lot of raw power behind him. That kind of talent didn't just come from anywhere… nor was it to be taken lightly.

That kid was something else.

Inspecting the redheaded spear girl for a moment, the calm, sole boy member of the team smiled. "Looks like the 'Untouchable Princess' isn't so untouchable after all," Utakata remarked, keeping his arms steady at his sides as he ambled along at his own pace. "Don't be so reckless next time."

"Yeah. No problem. But still… that fight certainly got my blood pumping," Mae revealed, before then shooting a smile towards Ryofu. "And I know seeing how strong that guy was got you excited too, Ryo-tan."

Looking away to hide the blush on her face, the silver-haired kunoichi huffed stubbornly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

While Utakata and Mae shared a laugh and a giggle with one another at their teammate's expense, as the trio disappeared into the crowd, the befuddled Naruto then shook himself out of his daze. Reaching up to brush the deep cut the girl's spear had made across his eyebrow, prompting him to pull out a cloth to apply pressure to it, the boy sighed and glanced down at his friend Tama. The little white fox tilted her head at him inquisitively, earning a warm smile from the 'jinchuriki'.

"Don't worry. I'm not hurt. It's just a scratch," Naruto said, at the same time walking across the intersection and collecting his backpack. After removing the kunai from the duffle's side and hooking it back over his shoulder, the jinchuriki then took off his straw hat and checked out the big chunk taken out of the rim. He then whistled at how close it'd come to the middle. "Damn. That was one hell of a girl. And she was a member of the Uzumaki clan too… _my_ clan." The orphan honestly had half a mind to go after the girl and ask her a few questions. Perhaps even find out if there were others from his clan still around. However, seeing as how she and her squad were from a different village, one that the hidden leaf had a bit of a shaky history with, and that she'd just gotten through attacking him, he figured running after them on his own wouldn't be such a good idea.

Understandably though, after leaving such a deep impression on him and the village around them, Naruto had a feeling he would definitely be seeing her again real soon.

Tama, tail wagging happily as she saw the excitement reflected on her friend's face, then gave her partner a cheerful bark, which helped to snap the blond out of his reverie. "Man... I can tell the next few days are going to be really interesting."

His first day out and Naruto was already meeting some really awesome people, showing him just how big, mysterious, and surprising the world actually was.

Of course, the world hadn't completely opened up to him just yet. After apologizing to all the villagers for causing them so much trouble, he then headed on his own way too.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Utakata's team from Kirigakure. Again, another change I've made to the canon continuum. Also, if you guys haven't figured it out, Hinata isn't going to be the shy, timid, stuttering type in this story, but more like her version from the Finite Tsukuyomi world. :) This is due to her first meeting with Naruto, the way the events of that moment had been altered, and how he told her that 'she could be strong too, if she made it so.'


	7. Kappa Arc - Demon Fishing

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone. Another chapter in and things have started to get thick in this one, as you'll see at the end of this chapter.

If anyone knows their Japanese folklore, they'll probably have an idea as to what exactly shows up at the end of this chapter. Just a little something I took inspiration from, from the _**Hellboy Sword of Storms**_ movie. The name of it is in the arc anyway.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Demon Fishing_

(Early next morning)

Having spent the night sleeping under a maple tree in a random patch of forest along the side of the road, Naruto went through his usual wake-up routine of stretches, pushups, sit ups, shadow sparring, and a quick spot of breakfast. Building a small fire and cooking a pot of oats and honey, he split the share between himself and Tama, upon which the two of them then sat back to enjoy the sight of the sun peaking over the distant horizon. Once the young traveler and his friend were done, he then packed up his duffle bag and continued on north, keeping the sun on his right and a skip in each stride.

After his little scuffle with the _Kirigakure_ kunoichi the other day, Naruto had needed to make a quick stop by a chemist to get some medical tape for his wound. It was a quick clean up, especially since he knew that it would get better overnight. Sure enough, when he removed the patch he'd slapped over his brow later that morning, he discovered that the wound had been healed. So in the end, all the fight had left him was a great memory, a worthwhile experience, and a cool looking scar across his left eyebrow.

He couldn't wait to get home to tell Tayuya all about it… though he still wasn't sure whether she approved of his absence.

But before he did that, he had other business to attend to, namely returning Tama to her homeland. Having already made good progress the day before, the youngster didn't have that much further to go in order to reach his destination in the _Land of Hot Water_.

A brisk march through the northern heights and rolling hills in the upper part of the state, and Naruto was soon descending into another country. Finding a completely flat landscape covered in dense forests, geyser fields, and mountains stretching from one horizon line to the next, the jinchuriki set upon the villages bordering the capital hub of _Yugakure_. It was on his journey through the countryside that he noticed the land didn't have as big an agriculture or population center as the _Land of Fire_. In fact, what this state had most of were landmarks and hot spots, all of which were ideal for tourism.

There were dozens of hot spring villages and hotels, entertainment venues surrounding wells and geysers, volcanic tours, nature reserves, and a whole mess of other exotic locations. It quickly became apparent to the youngster that this country made most of its money from the people that visited it and, from what he could see on his way through the nation's borders, it was obviously an incredibly lucrative enterprise. He actually made a note to himself to stop at a few of these places on his way back, as he was currently focused on getting to where he needed to be first.

It didn't take him long to arrive at his destination. After passing through various junctions along the winding country highways and asking a few locals for directions, the boy soon found himself wandering through a village situated in a lush, forested area at the base of a mountain. A quick hike through an area resembling Sichuan Danba and Hakone in summer, both Naruto and Tama then came across a rundown Torii gateway and a rocky sando staircase leading up to a large temple.

The white vixen barked and hopped off of the blonde's shoulder to scamper up the path, while Naruto removed his damaged straw hat. Her actions telling the would-be jinchuriki that this was the place she wanted to go, he followed her, keeping his hands in his pockets as he marched up the rocky, uneven stairs. Taking note of how overgrown the area was, Naruto soon reached the top of the steep, forest hill, where he found a completely dilapidated and damaged shrine waiting for him.

Its paint eaten and burnt away, and its entire west side collapsed, the large temple looked like something that'd survived the aftermath of a battle. Walking across the tiled estate, passing by numerous statues, sessha and massha, Naruto suddenly felt his foot scrape against something and, picking up the plank of wood he'd trodden on, squinted at the writing etched into its surface.

"Genno Temple?" He then looked up at the archway where the sign would normally be hung, before promptly setting it aside and making his way across the sacred site's courtyard.

Hearing the birds singing happily in the nearby trees and watching the butterflies dance over the flower groves, Naruto scoped the entire place from top to bottom. After taking a minute to pay tribute to the empty temple box and ringing the bell hanging lopsidedly from the damaged rope, the blond then clapped his hands together in a small prayer. When he was done asking the temple guardians for an auspicious future, he then had his attention drawn from the shrine's walkway to the footpath leading around the building, where he saw Tama standing and waiting for him.

Walking through the sanctuary grounds and gardens circling the ruined structure, and passing under a line of about three dozen Torii, Naruto and Tama soon came upon a smaller, less conspicuous shrine. The cobblestone footpath circling the reliquary was decorated by broken stone lanterns, pillars and fences, lined with slightly overgrown bushes and a forest of maple trees. The shrine itself was sitting in the middle of a pond on a little island mound, with two broken kitsune statues standing guard over a large stone boulder, which had been essentially split and broken into several pieces.

After walking a couple of laps around the sacred spot, Naruto came across an information sign nailed to the shrine's tamagaki. He then proceeded to read it.

"The _**Sessho-seki**_ (Killing Stone), circa 1155 B.S (Before Sage)… renamed the _**Joka Ishi**_ (Purifying Stone) in 112 A.S (After Sage)… is a stone believed to contain the spirit of _**Tamamo no Mae**_ , a wandering trickster kitsune, and a demon of mischief, lust, fortune, and sexual desire. After being discovered sleeping with Emperor Konoe's wife, the demon Tamamo was defeated in battle by the group of heroes Princess Kaguya Otsutsuki, General Guan Yu, samurai Miura no Suki, and High Priestess Miroku, upon which she was sealed inside this stone and imprisoned in this shrine for all eternity. For thousands of years this boulder has resided in the heart of Genno Temple, transforming from an object of calamity into an artefact of prosperity, and has since served as a rallying point for pilgrims and people seeking luck and good fortune from all across the mainland." After reading this over a couple of times, the blond then pulled out his notebook and, finding a spare page, scribbled the text down for posterity.

As he did, he saw Tama walk around the shrine's pond with her tail wagging behind her as she hopped up onto the island. Whereupon she then ambled up to the shattered boulder and broken kitsune statues, sat down next to them, and turned to Naruto.

When the blond saw his friend lift her front paw, place it against the shattered rock and yip at him, he quickly realized what she was trying to tell him and pointed towards it. "Was this… the place that you came from?" Another yip from the vixen had Naruto stop for a moment, before his eyes widened and he looked down at the sign he was copying. "Tamamo no Mae… Tamamo… Tama…" His gaze snapped back to the fox. "You're… you're her aren't you? The kitsune from the story." When he saw the fox nod, a smile then spread over his lips. "Damn… that's so cool."

The delinquent then watched as the white fox hopped up onto the shattered boulder, her tail swishing through the air as she did a couple of laps of what was once her home and prison.

Tama's explorations of the tiny island allowed Naruto to finish copying the story in his book, as well as make a quick sketch of the area. During which time a puzzled look then fell upon his profile. "This seemed like a really important place a few years ago. I wonder what happened here."

"War. War happened." The voice of a young woman chimed in, drawing the boy's attention behind him. It was there he quickly spotted a raven haired girl with a hime-style cut, and wearing the white and red robes of a shrine maiden walking towards him. Hands folded in front of her, the stranger stopped at the edge of the auxiliary shrine and beamed. "Hi there. I… I noticed you were praying over at the main building a couple minutes ago and decided to come out to greet you."

"Oh. G-Good day. I'm… sorry for intruding," Naruto returned with a bow, earning one in kind from the elegant young girl. "Do you live around here?"

"Yes. Over by the small house sitting alongside the shrine," the eighteen-year-old replied cheerfully and without hesitation. "I'm studying here with my grandma and grandpa, and helping them to look after the temple. Even though it's no longer an active place of worship, it's still an important landmark to this village. Priests and maidens from other sects all across the mainland still pay visits to this area, for both research and spiritual enlightenment."

Walking towards the woman, Naruto closed up his notebook and gestured to the pond beside them. "Could you… tell me exactly what happened here? Why is the temple and all the other shrines around this forest so badly damaged?" More precisely he wanted to find out the reason why Tamamo's shrine had been cracked open.

The maiden in the robes beamed as she looked around the woods. When Naruto followed her gaze, he saw other little fox statues hiding and lying amongst the undergrowth, which had him blink in surprise as he listened to the girl speak. "About fourteen years ago, during the Third Great Shinobi War, the village of _Kumogakure_ used this area as a staging ground for their assault on the Land of Fire to the south and the Land of Earth to the west. This temple in particular was occupied by their troops as a base, due to its high ground and position overlooking the northern highways." Looking back at the blond, she saw him glance back at her intently. "During the final months of the war, a battalion from _Konohagakure_ made an assault on this temple, destroying the main building and many of its smaller shrines… at the same time forcing the defending garrison to retreat. The temple has since been rebranded as a war memorial and has remained this way ever since."

"I see…" Naruto murmured, at the same time looking at the pond and the shattered stone boulder sitting on top of the mound. Noticing the scars of war scattered about the place, including a couple of rusty kunai embedded in several rocks and pillars, the blond breathed a heavy sigh. "This must have been one hell of a battle."

"Yes. This spot in particular served as a location for several skirmishes between squads from both villages," the shrine maiden informed while gesturing towards the pond. "This shrine, a relic that has stood the test of time for over three thousand years, ended up being destroyed in the crossfire." She then shook her head sadly. "My grandmother used to come out here a lot when she was younger. She would tell me all these stories about a young woman with dark skin and white hair who would wander around the temple at night, and transform into a little white fox during the day. She told me that it was the ghost of Tamamo no Mae, who was trapped inside the stone boulder and had learned to project herself in spirit form."

"Really?" Naruto asked, earning a nod from the young woman that put a wide grin on the blonde's face. "Have you… seen this mysterious _ghost_ _woman_ for yourself?"

The maiden shook her head. "I snuck out a couple of times at night to see if I could catch a glimpse of her… but every time I did, I couldn't find anyone."

The 'jinchuriki' then pocketed his book and took a step back. "Well… I think I can help you with that." Naruto then turned to the boulder behind him and whistled. "Tama-chan!" A split second later, much to the shrine maiden's complete surprise, she saw a white fox bound out from behind the boulder and dart over to where the blond was standing, before hiking up his body and onto his shoulder. The boy then turned to the young woman with a smile. "I believe this is the person your grandmother told you about."

Stepping towards the boy slowly, the girl in the robes smiled warmly as she reached out to the fox, who she gave a gentle pat on the head. When she felt the little animal respond in kind, she giggled happily. "Hey there, Tama-chan." The fox licked her palm and yipped happily at the gesture, earning a cheerful look from the woman. "My name is Sayuka. Are you, by any chance, the same little fox my grandmother met all those years ago? The one who helped find her way back home when she got lost in the woods?"

Her answer came when the fox swished her tail and produced a familiar ball of blue fire at the tip, before the tiny mammal sprang into the air. Seeing her burst into blue flames during her impossibly high jump, both Naruto and Sayuka then saw her land on top of the massive Torii behind them, only she was no longer a little white fox. When the flames surrounding her dissipated, they revealed a gorgeous, curvaceous, naked woman with dark skin, a head of short white hair with two fox ears protruding from it, and a long fluffy tail that waved elegantly behind her. Perching herself on the edge of the Torii's ledge, Tama crossed her legs in a seductive manner and smiled down at the two youngsters, the oldest of which she could see was gaping up at her.

Naruto, completely ignoring the fact that his vixen friend was naked, chuckled as he placed his hands on his hips and watched her cover herself with her tail, "You're such a show off, Tama-chan."

The woman with fox ears giggled. "I know." She then winked at the blond.

When the jinchuriki eventually looked back at Sayuka, he then shrugged. "So… does that answer your question?"

Turning back to the visitor from afar, the shrine maiden quickly shook herself out of her stunned reverie and smiled brightly. "Yes. Most definitely." It was in that moment Naruto saw the touching sight of Sayuka's eyes glittering with delight and wonder, which served to lift his own spirits.

In the end Sayuka took Naruto and Tama on a personal tour of the destroyed temple and the forests surrounding it, showing them both the damages the war had caused to the grounds, as well as the places that were the most visited. Eventually the young shrine maiden asked the pair to join her and her grandparents for lunch, to which the duo accepted and were guided back to the little house at the edge of the temple's estate. Though the grandmother was stunned to see Tamamo again after so many years, she nevertheless invited both her and Naruto into her home with open arms, and treated them to an excellent meal of fried rice, roast pork belly, and vegetable stir fry.

All in all, even though he was faced with a potential scolding from the Hokage and Iruka-sensei when he returned home, Naruto could say without a shadow of a doubt that this trip had definitely been worth it.

OOO

(Evening)

The stay at the little house turned out to be a very educational experience for Naruto. In speaking with the elderly couple, he was able to learn a great deal about the history of the temple and the village it was built in. He was also able to find out more about Tama and how she came to interact with them. In exchange for these tales, including the magnificent lunch they'd given him, he told them about how he found Tama, nursed her back to health, and how she'd become one of the most important people in his life. Though his story paled in comparison to the grandmother's recollections, they were still good memories nonetheless.

After sharing tea and cake with the shrine maiden and her grandparents, Naruto quickly saw how late it was getting and told them all that he had to leave. Though Sayuka and the old couple offered the child to spend the night, as they were more than happy to roll out an extra bed for him, the jinchuriki said that he didn't want to take advantage of their kindness and overstay his welcome, as they'd already gone through the trouble of feeding him. Wanting to see more of the countryside before his eventual hike back to _Konoha_ , he instead asked the family if there were any inns close by.

Sayuka pointed him in the direction of a hotel with an excellent hot spring and view of the surrounding countryside, and also gave the boy a discount voucher so that he didn't have to pay full price for it. Thanking her for the gift, and making sure to write down her details so that he could stay in touch with her, Naruto and Tama then left Genno Temple and headed for the hotel.

The lodging was only a couple of hills over from where the temple was and, much to the delinquent's delight, it was much bigger and classier than he original anticipated. A large, traditional oriental style building with an enormous garden, tatami mat rooms, eating facilities, and a large bathing area in the back overlooking a stretch of valleys and forests beyond. After checking into the facility at the front desk and being shown a room, Naruto wasted no time in stripping down, grabbing a towel, and heading straight for the onsens at the rear of the property.

Tama followed after him, and after getting a bit lost inside the halls thanks to there being no signs posted anywhere, found the entrance to the bathing areas… though not the kind of entryway he was expecting. Leaving his bathrobe and gear on the shelves and baskets provided, the jinchuriki then slipped into the open area, scrubbed himself down at the washing station, and then stepped into the hot pool of water.

A loud sigh left the blonde's lips as his body sunk into the pond, his muscles immediately loosening up as they were submerged in the herbal tide. "Aaaahh… man… this is awesome." Placing a folded up towel on top of his head, the youngster then made himself comfortable, as he knew he was going to be here for a while. "If I was to die right now, at this very moment, I wouldn't care."

He was already in heaven.

Tama meanwhile hopped into the bath as well, and after a bit of a swim around, found a spot underneath a miniature manmade waterfall. It was here she hopped up, shook herself dry, and decided to have a quick nap on the rocks.

Seeing this had Naruto laugh, as he then lay into his sitting area and took a look out over the fence. Beneath the sparkling chandelier of the night sky, the jinchuriki saw snowcapped mountains in the distance, vast fields and rolling hills at their bases and, as the land drew closer, enormous, thick patches of forests stretching from one vanishing point to the next. The sight of steam clouds also rising into the night air showed Naruto the number of hot spots there were in the region, indicating that there were more geyser pools nearby.

"I have to remember to bring Tayuya-chan here sometime in the future. I bet she would love this," Naruto sighed. He the closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Nothing beats a nice, relaxing dip in the hot springs after a long day of traveling."

"I completely agree. You can almost feel all the stress and anxiety being washed from your body," a new voice spoke up from directly beside him.

Naruto chuckled and raised a hand, "I know, right?" He then looked over at the person sharing the spring with him, only to freeze the instant he noticed the individual sitting directly beside him was a very cute, fair-skinned young girl about the same age as him, with a head of straight blonde hair cut into an asymmetrical bob style, and a pair of cool, sharp, captivating blue eyes that seemed to pierce the cloud of steam hanging between them.

Back resting against the rocks, the girl was currently looking across at the young traveler with a calm, neutral expression in play, despite both of them being completely naked and in such close proximity with one another.

Blinking as he stared back at the person just three feet from him in surprise, Naruto slowly raised a hand and waved. "Uh… hi there?" He could be thankful for the fact that most of her body, particularly her chest, was submerged in water, otherwise this would've been far more awkward than it already was.

A small smile sprang upon the blonde girl's lips as she replied casually, "Hello. How are you this evening?"

"I'm fine. How about you?" the 'jinchuriki' returned gracelessly, not really quite knowing where this interaction was going to go, but hoping it didn't result in him being punched… _or thrown out_. He just got here for crying out loud. "Enjoying yourself?"

The beautiful stranger answered with a shrug. "I can't complain. As you said earlier, this basin is a very nice and relaxing place to be. The hot water mixed in with the salts are doing wonders in relieving the tension from my back and shoulders," the blonde informed, closing her eyes while at the same time rolling her back against the rocks. "All we need now is some koto music in the background and this would be perfect."

"Oh yeah. That would be pretty great." Appearing curious, Naruto then cracked an intrigued smile. "You really like hot springs too, huh?"

The mysterious girl nodded dreamily. "They're somewhere at the top of my list, yes. But of course, who doesn't enjoy a trip to the onsen at the end of an exhausting day?" She then slid open an eye and glanced at the spiky haired boy with the cloth folded on top of his head and scar across his left eyebrow. "Problem?"

"Nah. Not at all," Naruto replied with a quick head shake, during which he felt the boiling waters suck him back in. "I think it's great to meet someone who enjoys a hot bath just as much as I do." He then held a hand up and counted on his fingers. "Not only does it help clear your skin and boost your blood circulation levels, it also reduces muscle pain, stress, fatigue, and increases your vitality and improves your general wellbeing."

This earned an appreciative look from the girl. "You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about this area yourself."

"I've researched a few things," Naruto replied while lazily reaching up to scrub his wet hair. "Since I do a lot of exercising and heavy lifting, I figured it would be good for me to know a few of the things I can use to mend my body, and make sure it doesn't break down on me during training. After all, you can't be a good fighter if you don't take good care of yourself."

"That's true," the girl replied understandingly. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"Yeah. Heh-heh," Naruto laughed, seconds until his voice petered out and left him sitting in uncomfortable silence. As the steam of the hot spring continued to whirl and cloud around them, the still smiling jinchuriki raised a hand and pointed down at the water. "I'm… not on the men's side, am I?"

His answer came in an amused head shake from the girl and a straightforward, "No."

"And… the whole time I was washing up… you've just been sitting here?"

"Yes."

"So that means you heard and saw-"

"Everything."

"Okay." After a moment of pause, the blond gave a weary sigh. "Well… _shit_ ," Naruto groaned, leaning back against the rocks and scrunching his face up irritably. "Not much I can do about it now. I'm already here, sitting in the water in a really comfortable spot… so I ain't movin'." He then glanced across at the girl, half inquisitively and half hopefully. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. It's always nice to have some company, especially in the onsen," the girl remarked, before then cocking her head to the side. "However, I don't think my teammate will appreciate it very much when she shows up in the next few minutes and finds you sitting here, talking with me. She said she would be meeting up with me after she's finished dinner, which will probably take a while considering how much she loves the food in this place."

"Ah. I see." Naruto then blinked when his mind finally processed that last bit of information. "You're a kunoichi?"

"Indeed," the blonde responded, placing her hands upon her submerged thighs, turning to him, and bowing in a proper manner. "My name is Samui… Samui Shimizu of _Kumogakure_. Nice to meet you."

Clumsily returning the elegant gesture, Naruto responded with a cheerful grin. "Ditto. Although… I only wish I was better dressed for the occasion." He chuckled as he saw the girl straighten up where she was sitting. "Wearing only a towel and a washcloth isn't exactly how I imagined meeting a cute girl for the first time. It's so un-cool."

Samui giggled at the end as she readjusted her position once more. "I'm flattered by your compliment. But all things considered, you seem to be holding your composure rather well. By that disposition alone you're probably far better off than I am."

Naruto scoffed as he leaned back against the stone wall, resting his arms and elbows above the water in a rather roguish manner. "I highly doubt that." He then smiled and pointed a thumb at himself. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki; resident delinquent, street-fighter and all-around troublemaker."

"Lovely titles," Samui commented with a bit of a humorous smirk. "I'm assuming they were all earned?"

"More or less," Naruto chuckled, dropping one hand back into the water to soak his forearm. "I take what I can get wherever I can… especially since I don't really have anything else to add to my name. No home. No family. No reputation. I'm just a nobody, really."

The Genin tilted her head. "Don't sell yourself short. From what I can tell, you're an incredibly thoughtful, practical, and honorable man of noble bearing. Individual qualities that should not be forsaken so easily," Samui informed with a sincere tone of voice.

Hearing this had Naruto tilt his head and smile graciously. "Thanks. That… really means a lot coming from you. Honest." He then gestured towards her observantly. "I can tell you're a very smart and sophisticated person as well. Do you study a lot?"

Samui beamed in a subdued, mischievous manner, "I've been known for it."

"Cool. I've always admired smart people… especially my friend Tayuya. She has a very level head on her shoulders and can do a lot of stuff that I can't. Like figure out problems by thinking outside the box and remembering incredibly long formulas. Frankly, I have no idea where she keeps it all," Naruto said, at the same time gazing across at the girl deferentially. "To me, you seem to be the kind of person who's clever, headstrong, and has a good sense of things around her all in one. Those are the kinds of stuff that make for a great kunoichi and a great leader. I think that's really awesome."

His words had Samui's cheeks redden somewhat as she lowered her head to her bathing companion amiably, "Thanks."

Grinning at being able to stay on the girl's good side, Naruto then threw her a puzzled look. "Shimizu?" Repeating that in his head a couple of times, the child then came upon an answer. "That name translates to 'Pure Water' doesn't it? 'Shi' stands for 'clear' and 'mizu' means 'water', right?"

"Indeed. It's an old name… and one that not many people from other countries would be familiar with," the blonde girl replied, cupping her hand and bringing some water up from the spring. She then proceeded to wash her arm while engaging in informative dialogue with her male company. "My family has been part of the hidden cloud ever since our village was founded by the First Raikage over a hundred years ago. In that time, we've made a name for ourselves for producing some of the most efficient strategists and swordsmen in our military. The name of our family in particular reflects the physical and mental clarity of our clan members, emphasizing our high regard for propriety and efficiency. Though… for some cases, these qualities tend to fall a little bit short." Like her brother for example.

He was the more hot-headed member of their family, and didn't exactly take their teachings to heart.

At this exposition Naruto couldn't help but grin. "Well, you certainly live up to those expectations. I can tell you that right now." He then moved his head to the side and threw her his signature smile. "Smart, pretty, _and_ you have a cool name to boot. That's three-for-three on my checklist so far."

His additional compliment had the Genin kunoichi stare at him for a moment, before then giving him a warm smile and a well-earned blush. "You really know how to lay on the charms, don't you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm kind of well-known in my village for being honest and straightforward… though I think my teacher uses a different word to describe my character." He then snapped his fingers a couple of times in infuriating thought, before then pointing across at Samui triumphantly. " _Direct_! That's it!"

Samui giggled at his answer. "Sometimes less is better than more. Even though you may be incredibly candid with your words, I should tell you that your remarks in this instance are greatly appreciated."

The blond delinquent gave a nervous laugh. "To be fair, I'm just doing everything I can to avoid getting punched in the face or having my eyes gauged out. Seeing as how we're sitting in the same bath together, I'm still in something of a tight spot." He then leaned away a little and cringed, as if anticipating an attack. "Is it working?"

Much to his pleasant surprise, the blonde girl responded to his worried question by tentatively brushing several strands of hair behind her ear and edging closer to him. The added proximity had Naruto blink in surprise and blush when her shoulder came into contact with his.

"It is."

Naruto was, in a word, ecstatic. After about half a day of traveling and another half being spent hanging out at Sakuya's grandparents' home in Tama's temple, the youngster had thought his string of good fortune had come to an abrupt end when he accidentally found himself on the wrong side of the hot springs at what was to be his overnight halt. However, much to his pleasant disbelief, he was now engaging in a very enlightening conversation with a kunoichi from a village other than _Konohagakure_.

His first run in with another ninja from a different country had boiled down to the two of them demolishing an entire market square and nearly having his eye taken out. But the day after this event, Naruto was unexpectedly thrust into the extraordinary position of discussing tourism, geography, and training regiments with a person who would normally be considered an enemy by his village.

It was this fact that worried him the most when he eventually revealed to Samui that he actually came from Konoha's _Shinobi Academy_ and that he hadn't even graduated yet. Of course, the delinquent once again had all his fears thrown back at him when she simply waved it off in favor of their conversation, which made their time in the spring a hell of a lot more enjoyable. She also promised to keep this information strictly between them, and to not reveal his origins to her team.

The best bit about their talk however wasn't just how the pair seemed to hit it off right away, but also the context of their discussions. Naruto found great enjoyment talking with the well-mannered, incredibly articulate and sophisticated Samui, as her personality seemed to compliment his laidback, casual manner of banter, and open-hearted temperament so well. Unlike with guys like Sasuke and Choji, Naruto was able to have a far more mentally stimulating conversation with her, as they were able to talk in a more mature and holistic way. Also, by slipping in the occasional joke and jab at the other's expense, also brought a great deal of humor to their communication. From a distance their teasing seemed a lot more like underdeveloped flirting than anything else, even though there were no underlying motivations.

Nevertheless, both children were easily and completely taken with the other, and as their conversation evolved, so did its content.

"So you plan on becoming a strong shinobi one day, is that it?" Samui asked, at the same time looking at the boy next to her with interest.

"Yeah. I want to become strong enough to defend my village and my friends from anyone that tries to attack them. Perhaps… even become strong enough to be recognized around the world," Naruto replied, still resting back with his washcloth still sitting on his head. "I also want to prove that my brand of fighting can go the distance in the shinobi profession. Even if I fail, I'll just pick myself back up, try again, and keep on going… just like I always have."

The kunoichi from Kumo frowned a little, "As a shinobi, you might not get the chance to pick yourself back up if you fail. A lot of bad and unexpected things can happen to you on a mission." Samui shrugged. "You might even end up being killed."

"Yeah. That's definitely a possibility," Naruto said with a sigh, before then giving the Genin a positive smile. "But, if something like that were to end up happening, at least my last day on this planet was interesting."

Samui's lips quirked upwards in amusement, "Such optimism."

"I don't intend on dying though," the blond stated, crossing his arms firmly while still smirking. "Not until I've fulfilled all of my goals."

"Well, for that I wish you the best of luck," the Kumo Genin said with the best of intentions.

"And to you too," Naruto replied in kind. As the pair continued to sit and enjoy the spa, with Tama also deciding to hop in for another dip in the shallows, the 'jinchuriki' then gave a groan and a stretch. "So… you said your team was on some kind of mission to a village near here?"

Samui nodded, "That's right."

"Though I know it's not really any of my business, seeing as how I'm a civilian and everything, but I am curious as to what kind of mission you're on. The last group I ran into was on some kind of delivery job from _Kirigakure_. I don't know what they were carrying, but it must've been something pretty important. What about you guys?"

The kunoichi frowned and looked up thoughtfully. "Our village received a B-Rank request from a small settlement to the west of here. Apparently they're having some kind of problem with a large carnivorous fish of some kind that's attacking their people and scaring away all the smaller animals in the lake, and they want us to come and take care of it."

"A fish?" Naruto laughed a little. "They called you all the way down here for something like that?"

"A job is a job," Samui replied with a shrug. "This is just one of the kinds of missions that your village may send you on when you graduate and become a Genin. D-Rank missions for example can range from a series of odd chores including painting houses, finding lost things, fixing doors and chasing animals. These will normally keep you inside of your village's borders and away from danger. C-Rank and B-Rank missions on the other hand will take you out of the country and to other places that are far more perilous, whether they be delivery jobs, parcel pick-ups, hunting excursions, escorts, or taking care of various problems. Either way, every assignment is an experience."

Naruto, vaguely noticing Tama swim over to clamber up the rocks behind him, then crossed his arms and smiled. "This sounds like something I'd like to see firsthand." He then nodded towards her. "Would you and your team mind if I tagged along? You guys are heading in the direction I'm going to be walking anyway, so I could at least follow you down to the village to see what's up."

Thinking on it for a moment, the blonde girl then shared with the boy a smile. "I certainly wouldn't mind it. But I'm not sure what the rest of my team would have to say…"

"Say what, Samui?"

The new voice quickly had the pair turn to look across the bathing area, where they saw another figure had arrived on the scene. Naruto almost swallowed his own tongue when, standing a few feet from them, he saw a dark-skinned, curvaceous young woman with green eyes and short white hair that had the two longest bangs reaching down to her shoulders. What's more, not only was she not wearing anything other than a towel wrapped tightly around her chest and torso, the white sheet wasn't covering up much either. This meant that her long, slender legs were exposed below the hip, and the frame of her slim waist and bountiful cleavage was also outlined perfectly through the fabric.

Needless to say, even though Naruto had met a great deal of attractive females in his time, this woman was still incredibly stunning.

As Naruto did his best to regain his composure, Samui smiled at the older kunoichi standing nearby. "My new friend here is wondering if it would be possible for him to accompany us on our mission, since all of us are going to be travelling down the same road he'll be following down south. Would that be okay with you, Mabui-sensei?"

"A traveler, huh?" Cocking an eyebrow, the cool looking Jonin in the towel glanced down at Naruto, who'd managed to calm down enough to stare firmly back at her. "Are you heading home to your village, young man?"

The young jinchuriki nodded. "Y-Yeah. I… live down south in the Land of Fire, just a two-day walk from here. I came up to this village to visit a friend's place in a nearby temple."

"You do understand I cannot allow any civilians slowing us down or interfering with our mission," Mabui replied, her face remaining calm despite her current state of dress. However, considering the boy in front of her was just a kid, she had very little to be worried about by way of modesty. "We're running on a tight enough schedule as it is and cannot afford any delays. That means we won't be taking any breaks or detours along the highway."

"I know," Naruto responded quickly and with a pleasant expression in play. "Don't worry. I can keep up with you guys, no problem… and I promise I won't get in the way of your mission."

Accepting his answer, Mabui nodded before exhaling and promptly removing her towel. Once again Naruto almost suffered from multiple strokes when all the blood in his body seemingly rushed up to his face at seeing the twenty-five year old woman disrobe and step into the spring. Samui giggled when she watched the blond collapse against the stone wall of the pool with a dazed expression in play, while Tama sat up on the ground nearby with an amused grin stretched over her snout.

The white haired woman sighed as she leant back against the stone, moments before her gaze turned over to Samui and her newfound companion. "We set out first thing tomorrow morning at six. I trust you to make sure Omoi, Karui and yourself are ready by then, as we'll be heading straight to _Karatsu Village_ from here."

Samui nodded in understanding, while Naruto straightened up and listened in to the woman's instructions as well. "Hai, sensei."

"GAAAH! WHAT THE HELL!" The sudden shout from the onsen entrance had the three people present turn around, where they instantly spotted another young girl with dark skin and dark red hair, wrapped in a white towel, trying to hide behind one of the bamboo barricades. Blushing to the roots of her hair and looking quite shocked, the obviously alarmed girl turned her attention to her teammate. "W-WHY IS THERE A BOY IN HERE, SAMUI?!"

In spite of the girl's anger, the three people and the little fox present all remained completely calm. The blonde Genin in particular simply smiled at her embarrassed friend and spoke casually. "What does it look like? He's taking a bath with us."

"Yes! I can see that! But _why_ in _here_?! This is the girl's hot springs!" Karui snapped back, her face virtually glowing at this point as she did her best to keep her towel firmly wrapped around her body. "Why haven't you two tossed him over the wall or murdered him yet?"

Mabui merely shrugged and went back to enjoying the spring. "It's really nothing to get excited about, Karui. After all, he's just a child and I'm an adult. Not to mention Samui here has been enjoying the pleasure of his company for the last several minutes without any complaints or reservations, so what's the big deal?"

The redheaded girl coughed on her words, "E-Enjoying his company?" What was this madness she was hearing?

Figuring he'd now spent enough time here, especially since the situation was now becoming quite hazardous, Naruto sighed and stood up, making sure his towel was wrapped firmly around him as he did. "Well… I guess it's time for me to turn in for the night." As he rose from the water dripping wet, he noticed Samui checking him out from her spot next to him, which prompted him to smile. "I'll meet you guys tomorrow at the front gate, yeah?"

Upon getting Samui's answer, the jinchuriki then climbed up the rocks and onto the floor, causing Karui to squeak and duck behind her hiding spot as he approached. Tama trotted after her human companion, making sure to stay in step with him as he passed the Kumo Genin and into the changing rooms.

Stopping for a moment, Naruto turned to the newcomer and grinned, "Nice to meet you-"

"Yeah! Fine! Whatever! Just leave already, you pervert!" Karui shouted at him.

"Alright! Alright! Leaving!" Thanks to that ferocious response, the jinchuriki was encouraged to leave even fast, lest he suffer the wrath of the half-naked, angry girl. He managed to leg it just in time to avoid being hit over the head by the scrubbing brush Karui chucked after him.

The entire ordeal served to make Mabui chuckle and Samui laugh into her hand, as the sight of seeing Naruto scamper away holding his towel was quite entertaining.

XXX

(Next morning)

At the crack of dawn, following a quick breakfast of rice and fruit, Naruto met up with his newfound friends at the front gate of the hotel. Being the first to wake up, the jinchuriki was able to greet the team from _Kumogakure_ as they came ambling down the footpath. However, following last night's rather turbulent series of events, even though all of the girls were wearing clothes this time around, it didn't stop the jinchuriki from blushing brightly when he waved to both Samui and Mabui. A quick head shake and a few deep breaths quickly got him back to ground level.

After being introduced to the sole male member of Samui's team, Omoi, and receiving a hateful glare from Karui when he attempted to apologize to her for last night, the blond then fell in line with them as the squad from the hidden cloud began making their way southward. Hitting the same dirt road Naruto had used to travel to this part of the country in the first place, the team of shinobi eventually broke right when they came across a fork, and began passing through a very hilly, forested area. With Mabui following the map provided to her by the Raikage, the woman kept the team on course, while the students she was in charge of engaged in conversation with their unexpected tagalong.

"I heard you got into a bit of a tense situation with one of my teammates last night," the dark-skinned young male Omoi spoke up, rolling the lollipop he had between his lips while throwing Naruto an amused grin. "I have to say, it takes a lot of stones to get into a hot spring with a kunoichi from my village… especially with one of _these_ three ladies."

The period they were walking had given Naruto time to reflect upon and admire the group's respective uniforms. Being such a tightknit team from such a stand-up village, all of them were dressed similarly to one another and each bore the headband of their place of origin. Their Jonin sensei Mabui had gone for a grey, drop-shoulder crop top that exposed her shoulders, cleavage and taut midriff, black tight spandex pants, white forearm guards, shin guards, sandals, two pouches on her belt behind her waist, and a tantō sheathed directly over her shoulder. Karui had gone for a greyish-green winter jacket, black spandex pants, white waist armor with a single shoulder strap on the left, and a katana sheathed onto her back. Omoi wore a greyish-green coat with a fur collar, black pants, waist armor, shin guards, and a katana at his side. And finally, Samui had adorned a grey kimono top over a form-fitting fishnet armor, a pair of black spandex shorts, red wrist guards, shin guards, and her own custom design waist armor with no straps. She also had a tantō fixed to the back of her own belt.

Needless to say, all of them were well-dressed and armed to the teeth, telling everyone they passed on the road that they were not to be messed with.

Naruto chuckled, keeping his hands in his pockets and Tama balanced comfortably atop his left shoulder. "I'm surprised I wasn't beaten up the moment I stepped into that bath." As he walked along, he failed to notice Samui staring intently at the white vixen perched on his collar, who was also tentatively reaching over to pet her on the head. "The girls back in my hometown wouldn't think twice about beating up a guy for walking in on them while they were naked."

In response, the gruff looking Karui glared at the young traveler. "I take it you know from personal experience."

Realizing he'd been put in check, the delinquent raised his hands abruptly, "No. No. I mean from seeing other guys do it firsthand. On one day in particular, when the girls in the springs discovered a group of teenage boys peeping into their side of the bath, they came after them armed with wash buckets and brushes."

Overhearing their conversation, a previously quiet Mabui chuckled in the background. "The women of _Kumogakure_ would do the same thing too. Only they'd come after you with swords and kunai, and a zero chance of running away from them."

Naruto paled at this news, upon which he then turned his attention to Samui. "You guys… really don't mess around, do you?"

The blonde kunoichi smiled devilishly and shook her head. "It's not in our nature to take it easy. We pride ourselves on the strength of our teachings and our unbreakable will of iron."

"Though a lot of people say _Konohagakure_ has produced some of the strongest shinobi in history, our village of _Kumogakure_ has also had its own fair share of formidable ninja. This includes our Kenjutsu master and teacher, Killer Bee-sensei," Omoi informed, keeping his hands in his pockets as they continued to march along the winding road.

"He's one of the best warriors to come from the hidden cloud and is regarded as our people's greatest hero. Every single person in _Kumogakure_ looks up to him," Karui stated, her voice filled with wonder, pride, and admiration, while her expression reflected an unwavering sense of confidence. "I don't think there's a shinobi alive who can stand up to his strength…"

"Except maybe Raikage-sama," Omoi said at the end, glancing across at Karui to see his female teammate's expression drop. "Even though they are comrades and brothers-in-arms, it is clear out of the two of them who's the strongest. Killer Bee-sensei has always done what Raikage-sama has asked of him and takes all of his warnings and counsel to heart." This then led to the boy with white hair to reach up and massage his chin thoughtfully. "Although… Bee-sensei does have a tendency to ignore many of our village leader's commands and has a habit of wandering off on a day-to-day basis. As much as he respects Raikage-sama's authority, he very frequently shrugs off or outright ignores his lectures. Perhaps he's much more knowledgeable about the world than Raikage-sama thinks… or perhaps he overestimates his own-"

"Omoi, I swear to Kami, if you start rambling on again, I will punch you in the spleen," Karui growled, raising a fist to the boy and shaking it at him. Her threat immediately had Omoi shut up, while the kunoichi glared daggers in his direction. "Geez. If you keep that up, one of these days you're going to have a nervous breakdown, or worse… I might just end up killing you myself."

"What? For being more forward thinking than you are?

"No. For being a royal pain in the ass! That's what!"

While the boy went on to argue with his red haired teammate over his methods of problem solving and the merits of consideration, a keenly observing Naruto leaned over to whisper to an unconcerned Samui. "Are they always like that?"

The blonde girl closed her eyes, "Sadly… yes. But you get used to it after a while."

Glancing back at their Jonin instructor, who was seemingly allowing their loud discussion to carry on unabated, the observant Naruto then tilted his head. "This Killer Bee person… is he your main instructor or something?"

Samui nodded and looked back at the boy proudly. "Yes. He is our official team leader and our most regular teacher. Unfortunately, due to his importance to the village and standing in the governing council, the Raikage does not allow him to take us outside the village or beyond our borders."

"Oh. So then… instead of your regular sensei, your Raikage assigned you another team leader for missions outside of _Kumogakure_?" Naruto asked, putting two-and-two together while also taking a glance back at Mabui.

"That's correct. Mabui-sensei is our supplementary instructor… and is also an assistant to the Fourth Raikage. That means she is a very capable and effective kunoichi. Perhaps the best in all of the hidden cloud," Samui informed, obviously holding the woman in very high regard.

"I'll bet," Naruto remarked, tearing his eyes away from the gorgeous, white-haired Jonin to smile at Samui. "I can tell that you guys work really well together… and that all three of you are really strong." Hopefully the team he was eventually assigned to would be a great one too. He was hoping for it… counting on it.

Smiling at the boy's appraisal, the young blonde with the bob cut then looked back towards the road they were following with a faraway expression. "We train, learn and practice drills together, and emphasize the importance of cooperation every day. It's not just about how strong we are as individuals… but teamwork, and knowing how to fight together, is fundamentally the most important thing for us shinobi to know."

Taking this information to heart as something he could use for the future, Naruto continued his conversation with the blonde, as well as with both Omoi and Karui once the two of them had stopped bickering. Now that a lot of the stress and disagreements had been effectively dispelled from their circle, the squad from Kumo was able to have a more relaxed and cordial trek towards their destination. When they eventually passed over the last hill and down towards the town, what they came across was something they didn't quite expect.

The group descended into a wide, flat area surrounded by rolling hills covered in forests and a couple of rivers converging on an enormous lake, which seemed to stretch five to ten miles across in all directions. Despite being in such a lush, bright, and healthy-looking area, with a series of beautiful mountains lining the horizon and white clouds drifting overhead, the village itself and the fields surrounding it looked as though they'd seen better days. With the muddy roads, boggy crops, and damp, rundown buildings making up the majority of the small community, the entire settlement looked as though it'd been sent back to the medieval periods; where plagues were all the rage and the entire place was run by peasants with pitchforks.

The group weren't that far off from their observations either, for as soon as they started passing through the beaten up town, they could see exhausted, frightened villagers peering out of their homes and watching them from the shadows. Initially put off by the sight of the miserable, disheveled people around them, and the fact that most of the place was deserted, the _Kumogakure_ team then stopped in the middle of the highway, just a few hundred meters away from the pier leading out onto the lake.

"Geez… what's with this place?" Naruto wondered out loud, placing his hands on his hips while Tama also looked around quizzically. "Why is everyone acting so scared? Is it because we're here?" He directed this question towards Samui and the others.

"I don't think so," Mabui answered, also feeling a tad bit concerned at what she was seeing.

"You know that fork in the road about a mile back?" Karui asked, at the same time pointing over her shoulder and back up the hill. "Did we take a wrong turn or something? Because I don't think we're in the right place."

"No," Mabui shook her head, deciding at that moment that it was best for her to take point, and stepped forward. "This is the _Karatsu Village_ on the map we were following. I'm sure of it." She then turned towards a nearby house and addressed the woman she could see poking her head through the dark entrance. "Excuse me! Do you know where we can find the village chieftain? He sent a message out to _Kumogakure_ requesting a squad of shinobi for a pest problem!"

For about a minute the Jonin didn't receive a response, except for seeing a few more people step out into the open and begin filling the road. Taking note of the haggard states of the civilians, the group soon had their attention drawn to the middle of the dirt path when they saw a middle-aged man with a goatee, a straw hat, wearing a dark blue fishing kimono, brown pants, and wooden sandals approach them from around the bend.

Tipping his hat up, the man with the facial hair spoke, "Are the four of you… _Team Bee_?"

As the youngsters stepped back, Mabui edged past them and walked up to the man, at the same time pulling a scroll out from her back pouch. "Yes." She then held out the document to him for verification. "I take it you're Tenzen-san… the one who sent _Kumogakure_ the request?"

"Yes. That's me." The village leader nodded before exhaling deeply in relief. "I'm so glad you managed to come. Though I was hoping your village would send a larger force, I guess you guys will have to do."

When Tenzen took the scroll, the female Jonin frowned. "Could you tell us what's going on around here? Why is your village in such a poor and rundown state?"

Analyzing the surrounding buildings and noticing a few of them had recently been repaired, Omoi then turned and spoke up. "It looks like you guys were attacked by someone… or some _thing_."

"And judging from the buildings and surrounding crops… I'd say quite recently," Samui also noted, spotting a collapsed building nearby with a couple of people trying to retrieve some of the remaining intact furniture and possessions from the debris.

As more people gathered on the main road, the bulky village leader Tenzen inhaled deeply and walked around the group. "Come with me." He then beckoned the team to follow him, which they immediately did.

Walking down the road, the four out of town ninja and lone traveler came upon the town's fishing quarter by the lake. When they arrived, Naruto and everyone discovered to their bewilderment an utterly ruined jetty, various abandoned shacks and stalls, and almost every single boat tied up by the wharf sunk or capsized. From large sail boats to single-seater rowboats, nothing was left floating on the water. If that wasn't baffling enough, when the group came to the shore just several yards down from the pier, they found a skinny old man with grey, scraggly hair, wearing a brown headband, khaki kimono top, pants, and obi, squatting by the water and tossing cucumbers into it.

Using a small whittling knife, the old man would carve something into the side of each vegetable, bow to the lake, and then throw the aforementioned offering into it, where he would ten watch it float out into the open. Naruto, Samui and the rest of the group stopped and observed the elder do this for a couple of minutes, not really sure how to respond to this until Karui spoke.

"What is he doing?"

"From what I can tell… fishing," Naruto murmured, watching the dozen cucumbers the man had carved float out over the water with his hands in his pockets. Tama also whined a little in confusion.

Mabui then glanced across at the taller Tenzen, "What _is_ he doing, exactly?"

The village leader sighed, "He's making an offering." When he saw the group of youngsters look around at one another in confusion, Tenzen proceeded to clarify the situation. "About two years ago, during a time when food was plentiful and the village was thriving, the fishermen out on the lake were suddenly attacked by some kind of creature from the water. At first we thought it was some sort of large salamander or giant cat fish, as it would drag people into the lake through their fishing lines or from the shallows. But when it started coming out of the water and attacking the people on the land, we quickly realized that this was no ordinary predator…"

Omoi blinked, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "What is it? A crocodile?"

"No. Not a crocodile. A demon," the elder by the water spoke, drawing the group's attention to him. Looking over his shoulder with cucumber and knife in hand, the old man gave the new arrivals a foreboding look. "A master of the rivers and waters; a suijin who preys upon those who stray too close to its domain. It hunts from the depths of the lagoon, beyond our sight and sound. As soon as it sees your shadow peering over the banks or drifting overhead in a boat, it'll pounce… and pull you down into the crushing depths of its dwelling, where it'll feast upon you… body and soul." Continuing to carve into the vegetable, he then set aside the knife, bowed to the lake, and threw it in. "To it, we humans are nothing more than food and game to sate its monstrous appetite."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "And you're feeding it?"

The elder lowered his head sadly. "He has already eaten many of my family." He then picked up another offering from the basket next to him. "But, if I write the names of all of us that are left on these cucumbers… the monster takes the vegetables and leaves us alone… for a month." A quick glance back at the youngsters told them all the severity of their position. "He really likes cucumbers."

Taking in this information, Mabui then gave Tenzen a puzzled look. "So… you're saying that this… _thing_ … came out of the lake and started rampaging through your village?"

The chief nodded gravely. "After realizing it was going after the people fishing out on the lake, we stopped all traffic over the water to cut off its food supply, in a hopes that it would starve or go away. But that only made things worse." Tenzen then glared across the enormous pond stretching out in front of them. "It began moving onto shore and attacking the settlements around the lake, dragging people into the water. We tried hiring expert hunters and fishermen to catch and kill the beast, but every single person has tried and failed. Now everyone is terrified of even going near the area."

Samui turned and looked up at the man. "Why don't you people just move from here?"

"And go where?" Tenzen asked, shaking his head at the young girl. "We're a simple fishing village. We have nowhere else to go… nor the means to financially support ourselves. And even if we could, we can't." He then turned and faced Mabui seriously. "When we started sending people away, the monster became angry and started ambushing the families leaving via the roads and outlying bridges. Whatever this thing is… it knows exactly how many people are in its hunting grounds; by scent and by name. Now it's keeping all of us here prisoner… like fresh stock to feed on if we ever stopped giving it offerings."

Not liking this news one bit, Mabui and the rest of the group turned back to the lake, which they regarded cautiously. At first they were expecting this to be just a simple pest-extermination mission, where they would hunt down whatever animal was causing all the disturbances in the area, kill it, and then be on their way. But as it turns out, the situation was far worse than they'd imagined.

"I'm assuming we won't be able to leave here then," Mabui murmured, a bead of nervous sweat running down the side of her face. "Not without endangering ourselves and the rest of the village." She then glanced at Tenzen, who was appearing just as nervous as she was. "If the situation was this bad, why didn't you ask for shinobi from _Yugakure_ … or pay for an S-Rank mission instead?"

Tenzen held up his hands defensively, "We're a small town… and we're very poor. My people and I scraped together everything we had in this village just to pay for this mission. Since we had so little, we had no choice but to ask for a B-Rank application. We tried asking _Yugakure_ , but their prices were too steep, and much of their shinobi force has been retired. So we sent a message to _Kumogakure_ , as we knew your village would have ninja capable of dealing with something like this." He then lowered his hands when he saw Mabui's expression falter. "I took a big risk sending that message. We're incredibly fortunate it managed to get through."

Taking a moment to think about it, Mabui surveyed both the lake and the village behind them. With the situation fully explained and the stakes set, the kunoichi was left with very few options. She'd brought her team on this village under the pretenses of a simple catch-and-kill animal job. But, after finally entering the town and speaking with the locals, they quickly discovered that this was no longer the case, and that this job's initial ranking went beyond that of a poultry B-Rank job. Since they'd also entered this creature's hunting area, her and her squad ran the risk of angering it if they left. So with leaving being too dangerous and hanging back to wait for help not giving them much room to work, Mabui quickly knew what she had to do.

Apparently the rest of her squad did too.

"We have to catch this thing," Naruto spoke up, a determined expression on his and Tama's faces as they looked across at the _Kumogakure_ group they'd journeyed to this town with. "Catch it and kill it."

Completely in agreement with the delinquent, Samui turned to address her team leader. "We can't let this monster- whatever it is- continue roaming around the area, attacking people in the town and on the road."

"I'm with Naruto and Samui on this one," Omoi also said, with both him and Karui looking up at their Jonin instructor resolutely. "We need to get this thing and stop it from killing anyone else."

Breathing a heavy sigh, Mabui reached up and rubbed the back of her head. "Guess we don't have much choice." She then placed her hands on her hips and looked down at her squad. "Alright. We're going to go with a bait-and-trap, crossbow formation; lure this thing to the surface of the lake and take it down with two separate waves of attacks from two lines. This is a strategy we've used multiple times on B-Rank missions involving the capturing of large amphibious creatures, so I'm going to need all of you to work with me on this." She then turned towards Tenzen and the old man still squatting by the lake. "Do you have any weapons?"

The village leader nodded, "Yes. Although they are rudimentary at best."

"That's fine," Mabui spoke, gesturing to him like an officer in the army. "I want you to arm every able-bodied man in the village and have all of them wait along the edge of town by the pier. Send all the women and children to the back, and keep them off the streets." When she saw Tenzen nod and proceed to lead the old man by the shallows away, the Jonin then turned to Naruto. When she saw the blond staring up at her, she considered him carefully for a moment. Noticing the Bo staff holster at his side and accurately guessing at his profession, the woman spoke. "Do you want to help?"

The blond clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. Here's what I need you to do…"

OOO

(An hour later)

After some time of running around and getting the entire area setup for their plan, the _Kumogakure_ squad then broke off to their respective points of attack. Mabui and Omoi took to the rooftops of the town closest to the lake with a view of both the pier and the shore, while the fishermen formed a wide semi-circle around their village's dock, out of sight of the waterfront. There was a large gap of open ground between the dock and the town, meaning that all those gathered by the buildings had a good view of things down by the lake. Samui, Naruto and Karui meanwhile had taken up position on the moldy jetty itself, and had brought with them one of the fishermen brave enough to try and lure the creature in the lake to the surface.

They did this by positioning themselves directly at the end of the pier and had arranged themselves into a defensive circle around the middle-aged townsman in the long-sleeved, oriental shirt, pants and headband, who had a fishing line cast towards the water. Tenzen explained that this was the most common scenario in which the fishermen of the area had been taken before; sitting on a boat with a rod and bait primed. Sure, it didn't seem that impressive, but it was the best they had.

So with all the pieces arranged, it was only a matter of waiting to see if they would get a bite.

However, after about twenty minutes of standing, waiting, and watching the fishing float bob up and down several meters away on the water, they got nothing.

With Tama standing on the walkway next to him, Naruto kept his eyes fixed on the line and his hands firmly in his jacket pockets. As the sun beat down on them from overhead and the silence of the setting bringing further tension to the moment, the blond delinquent took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"What do you think is really out there?" the young traveler asked. "My guess is some kind of giant reptile."

Samui, also having her hands at her sides, shrugged thoughtfully. "It could be a new species of amphibian we've never encountered before." She then glanced across at Naruto to see the boy with his gaze fixed sternly on the lake. "I've heard stories of various monsters and vengeful spirits living inside of underwater caves and rivers across the mainland; ones that would prey on humans and animals foolish enough to come too close to their homes. Most of these stories though were embellished tales of fiction and folklore… as the predators responsible for the attacks turned out to be just some kind of large carnivore."

Tearing his gaze away from his line, the fisherman sitting on the crate in front of the children glanced back at them. "Believe me, this is no ordinary animal." His words drew the attention of all three kids. "Though I never got a good look at it myself, the survivors claimed that this creature walks on two feet like a man, has scales like a fish, claws like meat hooks, teeth as sharp as blades, and stands at four to twenty meters tall."

That last bit of information had Naruto's eyes widen. "Whoa. It's that big?"

Karui narrowed her eyes doubtfully. "I think that might be an over-exaggeration."

Samui's own gaze narrowed back onto the lake as she rested her hands on her hips. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

And that's exactly what they did.

But, by the time another forty-five minutes went by and nothing, the trio had gradually started losing their edge. The tranquility of the scene and the peacefulness of the water only served to relax them, causing the group to begin shuffling and pacing about in their own respective manners. Karui started drumming her fingers against her bicep and checking her nails, Samui was half-heartedly observing the scenery, and Naruto started kicking at the walkway and trying to get one of the pieces of wood out of the rotting planks. Even the fisherman that was sitting in front of them was starting to slack off a little, as a loud yawn of boredom escaped his mouth and his body hunched forward.

When the epidemic of dullness started to catch on, Naruto gave a low groan of frustration.

"Damn it. What the hell is taking this thing so long? Where is it?"

"Maybe we're doing something wrong?" Karui remarked, arms crossed and an annoyed look slapped across her face.

"Fishing requires a great deal of patience and resilience," Samui informed her friends, though admittedly even she was starting to get irked at how long this was actually taking. "Just like how a shinobi is expected to wait for the opportune moment to strike, capturing an animal hiding in the water takes a lot of time and effort."

"Yeah, well, the wait is still frustrating," Karui grumbled under her breath.

Her impatience was only emphasized by Tama giving a yawn as well before laying her tiny body across the walkway, where her tail proceeded to lower to the ground.

As the clouds drifted slowly overhead and the birds in the nearby tree chirped and sung their usual chorus, a quietly waiting Naruto then narrowed his eyes on the water and turned to the fisherman. "You guys make regular offerings to this thing once a month, right?"

Head perking up, the villager looked over at the blond and nodded. "Yes. We do. Nori-san always remembers to feed the demon every four weeks to let it know that we're still here and that it can leave us alone." His expression then fell somewhat. "However… last month, when Nori-san forgot to add the name of one of the newborn children to the cucumbers, the beast came out of the water an hour later and attacked the village, killing two of the villagers."

"So… if that happened and it knew one of you were missing… then it actually _reads_ the names on all the cucumbers thrown into the lake," Samui said, her gaze lowering as she pondered this information. "In other words, it's able to communicate and understand human language."

"That's right," the fisherman nodded.

Thinking on it for a moment, Naruto was suddenly struck by an idea. In the midst of their pondering, Samui and the others then proceeded to watch as the blond marched off the pier and towards the stack of crates and boxes piled up at the end. After rummaging through the containers for a few seconds, he then returned with a cucumber in hand and a rusty old knife. When he stopped beside the girls, he proceeded to carve something into the vegetable, with both Karui and Samui peering over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

His message read, ' _Come and get some, you ugly fish.'_

After finishing with an exclamation mark and a drawing of a hand giving the middle finger, Naruto stuck the knife in the pier's pillar, cocked his arm back, and ditched the cucumber across the lake, where it landed far away with a small splash.

"There," the delinquent said with a smirk, dusting his hands together. "That ought to get its attention."

Samui snickered at the boy's incredibly hostile message. "I doubt our friend is going to like that very much."

Finding his gesture to be rather off-putting, Karui then stared at the blond. "Are you an idiot? Why the heck would you do that?"

Naruto looked back at the girl oddly and gestured towards the water. "What? I'm just trying to speed things along."

"By trying to piss it off?" Karui asked. "Do you honestly think that will work?"

"Hey, I've been known to be pretty good at it," the traveler replied, at the same time giving another nod to the lake. "I mean, heck, it's worth a try. That thing is hiding somewhere out there in the water eating anything that floats its way and we need to get it to show its face somehow."

The sword-using girl sighed and slapped her forehead protector. "And the first idea that pops into your head is to send it a written invitation? Geez, we don't even know if this thing can actually read or not. Maybe it just keeps count of the food it eats and the people on the shore." She then held a hand out to the blond delinquent. "What kind of a guy would go and do something like that?"

Sharing a look with Naruto, Samui then glanced back at her teammate and shrugged. "Bee-sensei springs to mind."

"That's beside the point!"

As Karui proceeded to chide Naruto for his actions and let loose her anger on him, the group failed to notice Tama's head perk up when she saw a shadow suddenly wading towards them through the water. It was only when it got close enough that the fox jumped up and she started growling at the water. When the dark mass drew even closer, causing a rippling wave across the tides, a blue flame quickly ignited on the end of the animal's tail, her hair standing on end and her snarling growing louder, drawing the attention of the fisherman beside her.

Of course Naruto and Samui were unable to hear the fox's distress as Karui was still chewing the former out at full volume.

"In any case, I highly doubt carving a message into a cucumber and throwing it into the lake is going to do anything. The creature is probably full after eating the vegetables already given to it and has gone to sleep. Heck, it might even have run away," Karui exclaimed, completely missing the sound of waves crashing against the pier beneath them. "Since all three of us are standing out here on the jetty and waiting for it to pop up, I don't think that it… it… it…it…" The girl trailed off mid-sentence, her eyes slowly widening in horror and gaze turning upwards when she saw a massive shadow rise up from the shallows at the end of the pier. When it stood at full height, Karui stopped outright. "Shiii~t."

Naruto, Samui and the fisherman also spotted the problem, and when their gazes slowly trailed up the towering black mass in front of them, their expressions slowly turned to shock and fright.

Standing directly in front of the pier, holding the fishing line in its right hand and the cucumber Naruto had thrown in its left, was a massive, scaled creature of impossible size and scale. Humanoid in shape and appearance, the beast had the rippling mass of a body builder on steroids, with layers upon layers of bulging, sleek muscles running from its neck and down to its legs. Sharp nails lined its very human-like hands, with spiky fins sitting up on its forearms. It didn't escape anyone's notice that it also had a ten-pack and a solid chest, which heaved up and down with every breath it took. Aquamarine, fishlike scales also covered the creature's arms, legs and back, with its pectorals and stomach sporting a much lighter shade of tough skin. It also had fins on either side of its lightly colored face in place of ears, sharp yellow eyes, and a very human nose and mouth, with the latter lined with razor sharp teeth. On top of its bald head, it also had a mess of coral arranged into a makeshift crown, with seaweed draped randomly over its bulging shoulders, and a small turtle shell on its upper back.

As the beast leered down at the stunned group on the end of the jetty, Naruto and the others couldn't help but see how tall this thing was. The pier was about a meter and a half above the water, with the lake beneath them being only several feet deep. However, this monster still managed to tower over them by about two full grown men.

Samui estimated that this thing was four times larger than her village's Raikage.

The sight of the creature immediately had all the kids take a step back, while Tama continued growling fiercely at it. Even Mabui and Omoi watching from the rooftops were gaping at the sheer size of the animal.

Its eyes glancing over the newcomers, the hulking, amphibious creature then brought up the cucumber it'd grabbed and held it forward. After looking down at it and the writing engraved upon its surface, it then glanced towards the children.

" _ **Did someone call me out?"**_ it asked in a deep, low and intimidating voice.

Despite the terror of the moment, Naruto couldn't help but give an amused, yet noticeably weak laugh. "What do you know? It worked." His voice actually broke when he made that nervous remark.

Getting a good look at what she accurately guessed as the monster that was attacking the village, a trembling Karui leaned forward and hissed to the fisherman sitting beneath its shadow. "Okay. G-Give it to me straight. Am I hallucinating?"

The terrified villager holding the fishing rod gulped. "N-N-No…"

"Oh. Good. That makes me feel so much better," Karui whispered before speaking quickly and frantically, "What _the fuck_ is this thing?"

"I h-have… no idea… but it's _big_ ," the fisherman stammered, slowly lowering his fishing rod and setting it on the ground. Since the monster was still holding the line, there was no way he wanted to be on the other end of it.

That still didn't change the fact that he was at the front of the group.

"Well that's very perceptive. Now how the hell do we kill it?!" Naruto hissed back at them anxiously.

Being the one to fully comprehend exactly what they were staring at, Karui gritted her teeth, crouched down, reached up, and grabbed the sword hanging from her back. "Easy! Like _THIS_!" She then sprang from the walkway and flew right up at the monster's head. Her take off quickly had Naruto and Samui step forward in alarm.

"KARUI! WAIT!" the blond girl shouted. But it was too late.

With a gutsy yell, the airborne girl drew her sword from its sheath and swung out at the creature's head. _**"Kumo-Ryū Omotegiri!"**_ (Cloud Style Front Beheading) Her blade cut through the air in the form of a blinding white flash, which then struck the creature right across the face in a shower of sparks, sending a spray of purple blood across the water and knocking its head to the side. Seeing the animal get hit, everyone thought for sure that when Karui landed safely back onto the pier that she'd cleaved its head in two.

However, when Karui looked up at her target and saw it turn its face back to her, she watched the blood spilling from the large gash in its cheek suck back into the wound and heal itself shut in three seconds flat. When it did, the creature smiled, as if nothing had even happened.

" _ **That smarts,"**_ the creature spoke with a menacing leer. _**"Why would you do this?"**_

A fearful sweat broke out on every single person present, with Tama taking several paces back when the creature took a lumbering step towards them.

Karui meanwhile was beyond shocked. _"What in the… I put everything I had into that swing! And it had zero effect!"_ She then took a cautious step back herself, her sword shaking in her grip as she brought it up into a defensive position. _"This thing… this isn't just a monster…!"_

The aquatic monster then tilted its head curiously. _**"Who are you all?"**_

With her teammates still gaping up at it, Karui grinned nervously and shuffled back a little more. "W-We're shinobi from _Kumogakure,_ hired by the people of this village to kill you!" She then brought her sword up, aiming the tip of her blade directly at its face. "Come out and fight us, demon!"

At this, the beast gave the group on the pier a toothy grin. _**"Fight you? Very well."**_

Karui, swallowing nervously, then whispered back to her teammates. "Naruto. Samui. As soon as this thing moves, run for it. With its size, we should be able to-!" The Genin was effectively cut off by what could only be described as a howitzer going off when a massive fist the size of a shopping cart slammed into her stomach, causing the kunoichi to give a strangled cry of pain and sending her flying down the pier past her friends. "GUUOOHH!" Reaching speeds well over a hundred miles per hour, the girl flew across the open ground between her and the village, before crashing into the wall of a house, where she punched a hole into the wood and ended up buried under a pile of splinters and debris.

Lying inside the ruined house, Karui could be seen staring up at the ceiling, her sword lying beside her, blood running out of her mouth, and her torso armor cracked and split in half. "W-What happened?" Completely in a daze, the girl's fingers twitched. _"I can't feel my body."_

"KARUI!" Samui shouted, looking behind her at where her friend had crashed and completely missing the sight of the enormous beast in front of them crouching down and springing high into the sky.

Looking up in alarm, Naruto quickly grabbed the blonde kunoichi by the arm and the fisherman by the scruff of his collar. "SAMUI! MOVE!" He then leapt back as fast as he could, at the same time the enormous humanoid lake monster dropped down from the sky and slammed both its legs into the jetty. Like a depth charge going off, a massive shockwave rippled down the pier, tearing it apart and sending debris flying through the air like confetti. As a cloud of dust and water covered the shore, Naruto, Samui and Tama came jumping out of it to skid to a stop across the open, with the former dragging the hapless villager with him.

Dropping the man to the floor, Naruto quickly shouted at him. "Go! Get out of here!" He then watched the middle aged man scamper away with a terrified whimper, before the blonde's gaze quickly shot back to the wall of dust in front of them. "Damn it. I wasn't expecting this."

"This creature isn't just strong. Its large, hulking body belies its ridiculous speed, and it knows how to use both of them really well," Samui informed, dropping into a stance while reaching for her tantō. "This is not going to be an easy fight."

"No," Naruto replied, shaking his head in agreement. "It's not."

Just as the trio were staring at the cloud of dust, they suddenly saw wall of dust part violently and a large, ruined sail boat come flying at them. Eyes widening, Naruto, Samui and Tama leapt out of the way as the vessel tumbled past them, before then crashing into the side of another house and bringing down its roof.

Rolling across the ground and landing in a crouched position, Tama's head then snapped upwards when she saw another mass flying at them from the cloud, only to see the monster burst through the wall and thrust both hands out to grab her. Springing off of the floor, the white vixen darted to the right in a flicker when its hands slammed together with a loud 'slap'. Upon which the enormous creature then began lashing out at the air, his own arms blurring together as it attempted to catch the little white speck that was the fox darting between its swipes.

Stunned by its speed, Tama did her best to stay out of reach of its claws and fists. However, after quickly hiking off of its forearm and dodging another of its hooks, the creature suddenly swung its hitting arm outwards mid-throw, chopping at the fox and catching her during her dodge. The fox was hit by the force of a train and was sent flying towards the woods, where she slammed into the side of a tree.

Cracking against it, the fox dropped to the floor with a thud, battered and bruised. Shaking as she attempted to stand up, the tiny little fox then spat up blood from her mouth and gave a pained whimper, as the blow had caught her right in the ribs.

Gaping across at his friend, a shocked Naruto gritted his teeth. "Tama-chan!" Unfortunately he didn't have time to worry about his friend.

"Look out, Naruto!" Samui's shout of warning came as a shadow suddenly fell over him.

Looking up with a start, the blond traveler saw the lake monster flying at him with a big grin on its face and a wild haymaker in full motion. Quickly timing the attack's speed and approach, Naruto crouched low and leapt straight into the air, avoiding its blow that instead struck the ground and punched a crater into the earth.

Dropping down from the air after getting above the creature's defenses, the delinquent dropped down at it in a corkscrew motion, swinging his leg around into a diagonal spin before driving his knee straight into the monster's face the moment it looked up at him.

" _ **Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) The momentum of Naruto's spin drove his knee right into the creature's mug, caving in its face, and causing a deafening shockwave that split the ground beneath it and the beast to lurch backwards under the weight of the blow.

The force of the attack was so great that even Samui lost balance when the floor shook beneath her, causing her to stumble forward and gape across at the boy in surprise.

Dropping to the ground, Naruto looked up with his fists clenched and teeth bared, as he saw the monster turn to him with its nose crushed and blood leaking from its crooked mouth. _**"Eh… oh my…"**_ The sound of bones crunching filling the air, everyone present in the area watched morbidly as the creature's nose and jaw reset, and its blood faded into its skin. A threatening grin then spread across the monster's lips. _**"I felt that… just a little."**_

Widening his stance, the nervous Naruto then snarled. "Oh yeah? Then how about _this one_?!" With a shout, the boy charged right at the creature, jumping into the air and throwing himself into yet another spin. His leg swung out as he approached the monster with a yell. _**"Kūken: Cheisa!"**_ (Void Fist: Chaser) He then nailed the beast in base of its neck with a crushing roundhouse kick, which caused the large humanoid fish to lurch to the side and the bones in its collar to crack from the force of the attack.

However, just when it seemed like Naruto had killed it, the monster suddenly brought its arm up and, in blur of speed, smashed the boy from above with a chopping hammer blow to the body. The force of the fist dropping into him slammed the blond into the floor with such force it not only punched a crater into the floor, but caused him to bounce upwards.

Eyes wide in agony, a spray of blood shot out of Naruto's mouth like a geyser, which filled the air and caused the water demon standing over him to grin murderously.

" _ **You'll have to do a lot better than that!"**_

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Before anyone says anything, yes, I'm aware that Samui and Mabui are supposed to be the same age.

I liked it better when everyone thought Samui, Karui and Omoi were on the same team, and I'm sticking with that formula.

So far, the fight has started and everyone has taken a big hit, Karui, Tama and Naruto.

 _ **Again, to the person who can guess what this species of demon is. lol**_

* * *

 **CHARACTER PROFILE:**

Name: **Tamamo no Mae** or **Tama**

Epithet(s): _The Wandering Fox, Lady Kayo, Tama_

Gender: Female

Clan: Unknown

Occupation: Demon/Shrine God/Guardian Spirit

Rank: N/A

Hair Color: White

Skin Color: Tanned/Dark brown

Age: Appears 20 but is centuries older

Nature Type(s): Celestial Chakra/Magic

Specialization (s): Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Transformations, Chakra blasts, Space-Time Jutsu

Missions Completed: N/A

History: According to historical records, Tamamo no Mae is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology, whose tales are told in various works of fiction, and has a history tracing all the way back to mainland China.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , Tamamo no Mae is one of many demons and deities that have appeared throughout the Naruto storyline. Sharing similar origins to Kaguya, Momoshiki, Moryu and Miroku ( _Naruto Shippuden The Movie_ ) as an extra-dimensional being, the woman has been around since the earliest days of man, disguising herself amongst the people, wandering from continent to continent, causing mischief and chaos, and casting spells upon humans. She even made a habit of disguising herself as different women and sleeping with their husbands, particularly the daimyo, to sate her animalistic and erotic tendencies. When she was found out by the authorities, she was defeated and sealed inside of a stone boulders by the heroes Princess Kaguya, samurai hero Miura no Suki, legendary general and future God of War Guan Yu, and High Priestess Miroku, Shion's ancestor.

For thousands of years her stone tablet stood in the Genno Temple of the country that is now called the _Land of Hot Water_ , where people came and prayed to her, asking her for protection, guidance, and their deepest desires to be granted. They even confessed to her the various losses and misfortunes in their lives. It was here Tama saw through the eyes of the many who came to her the value in human life and, from the people's sadness, grief, anger and joy, she learned humility and the reason for living. She soon referred to herself as a Shrine God, and became the guardian of the temple she resided in. Her presence soon brought good luck to the region, spiritual enlightenment and healing, and the people prospered.

However, during the Third Shinobi World War, her temple was used as a base by _Kumogakure_ forces as a staging ground for their attack on _Konohagakure_. When Konoha forces mounted an assault on the village and the base, the entire temple was destroyed, and Tamamo no Mae was freed.

Left to wander the world once again and with no home to return to, Tama took to the lands for many years, trying to find a new meaning to her existence. Somehow she ended up being snuck up on by another spirit, a **_Tengu_** , which tried to kill her and was gravely injured. This was when Naruto found her and brought her into his care.

As an extra-dimensional being like Kaguya, Tamamo possesses a unique and powerful chakra unlike the chakra used by ordinary shinobi, which she refers to as Celestial Chakra. This chakra, aside from granting her the same abilities a lot of other shinobi use, also gives her a range of other unique techniques; such as astral projection and space shifting, which allows her to produce a specter of herself between spaces and manipulate chakra in between dimensional walls. It is this same ability that allows her to nullify Space-Time Jutsu by affecting the surface of the current plain she's on, preventing herself or anything else from crossing into other spaces by canceling it out.

It was a technique she learned from her three thousand year imprisonment in the **_Sessho-seki_** (Killing Stone), in which she learned how to project herself as a 'ghost' to interact with the physical world.

Another unique trait of her Celestial Chakra is that she can use it to alter her own personal gravity, without affecting the rest of the environment around her. She also cannot be sensed or detected by other people, as the energy she uses is different from the brand used by Kaguya and her multiple descendants. When manipulating her chakra in different ways, she can also alter probability and the laws of luck and misfortune, which has allowed her to change people's luck and futures for thousands of years (though she cannot use this on herself). It also renders her impervious to genjutsu.

Being a demon of mischief, Tamamo is also capable of transforming into multiple forms. Her most used form is that of a little white fox (or **_Little Tama form_** ), which looks like an ordinary snow vixen. However, whenever she's using Celestial Chakra, a blue ethereal flame appears on the end of her tail, increasing her speed and strength several times over. By drawing on more of it, she's able to transform into her **_Giant Fox_** **_form_** , which is a massive kitsune with multiple tails. The more chakra she uses, the more tails she produces. She is also able to transform into a human or pseudo-human forms. The first is an attractive, dark-skinned woman with white hair, which is her **_Tamamo no Mae form_** , which she can enhance with fox ears and a tail. Her other form is that of an attractive, anthropomorphic humanoid fox form, or **_Demi Tama form_** , which allows her access to more chakra and her various beastly instincts that increases her fighting abilities.

Aside from also being fiercely strong, about as strong as a biju, her speed and flexibility are also of a different class, as she's able to go toe-to-toe with people like Obito and Itachi, while also catching Danzo by surprise.

However, in spite of her unique abilities, she does have several major weaknesses. Despite being able to live for hundreds of years without aging or withering in the slightest, if she is damaged enough Tamamo can still be killed in the conventional manner, as her organs are the same as any other human or animal. So any shinobi tricky, lucky, or fast enough to catch her by surprise, has a good chance of killing her in a direct confrontation.

Because she is a demon, Tama is susceptible to the same kind of damages that humans suffer when pitted against another member of her kind. That means most of the advantages she has against humans are nullified when fighting against other demons, spirits, and ancient deities. When she receives damage from another member of her species, it takes an incredibly long time for her to heal. She is also susceptible to Shion's clan-based sealing techniques and jutsu, as they were what sealed her in the _Sessho-seki_ stone in the first place.

Sacred weapons and celestial artefacts are also capable of slaying her, such as _Guan Yu's_ _guandao_ and the **_Tonbukiri_ ** wielded by Miroku. What's more, every month at the full moon, Tama goes into heat, rendering her bedridden and confined to her room, which leaves her temporarily vulnerable.


	8. Kappa Arc - Catch of the Day

**Author's Note:** Hi all. Still spellchecking this chapter, so bear with me on any mistakes. But for now, enjoy. :)

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Catch of the Day_

The moment Naruto's body bounced off the ground from the water demon's downward hammer blow, the massive creature then reared back its foot, took aim, and drove a kick into the boy's ribs that sent him flying into the woods. The blonde's body spun through the air as he went crashing into over a dozen trees, smashing through every single trunk and branch in his path, before eventually landing deep in the undergrowth. Due to the speed and distance he flew, Samui and the others had no idea whether Naruto had just been knocked out cold or if he'd been killed by the beast. Either way, the sight stunned the observing crowd of fishermen and the Kumo team still present.

Bringing his leg around and his knee across his torso, the hulking sea creature then assumed a very dancer-like pose with his foot off the ground and hands framed into gang-signs, while his unwavering grin fixed on the tunnel of destruction his blond target had formed in the forest.

" _ **My, my. Broken already? Such a fragile little thing,"**_ the enormous bottom-feeder said in a sing-song voice, before then lowering his foot back to the floor and scratching the top of his head around his crown. Making sure his headpiece was still there, the arrogant demon shrugged, _ **"Oh well."**_

Almost as soon as he did, a small shadow suddenly went darting around him from behind. Zigzagging in a yellow blur, an infuriated yet calm Samui leapt high into the air and, drawing her tantō from its sheath, struck down at the monster in a flash of silver.

Landing on the creature's back, the Genin drove her blade into the crook of its neck with the intent of impaling and killing the creature. When her short sword sunk into the thick mass of flesh, it stopped part way through when the muscles in the area prevented it from going any further. Recoiling in shock, Samui was suddenly taken for a wild ride when the enormous aquatic beast spun around and bucked, attempting to throw the little girl off of him. After that didn't work and the kunoichi held on, burying her blade a little bit deeper into her target, the lake demon reached up with both arms and attempted to grab her.

Ducking and weaving between its lashing limbs, Samui then sprang away when its hand slammed down on the spot where she'd been crouching. Performing several graceful rolls and flips through the air, the blonde then landed a safe distance away, dropped into a crouching position.

She then clicked her tongue when she saw the monster turn to her with a leer. "What a tough hide. My blade didn't go deep enough." Though she was sure she'd hit a vital spot, after seeing this beast shrug off three debilitating and potentially lethal blows from earlier, she knew that it was going to take a lot more than that to kill it.

The wound in its neck healing at a rapid pace, the lake demon then took a heavy stomp towards Samui. _**"Do you wish to dance too, little girl?"**_ he asked while licking his lips hungrily and sizing up the Genin.

Samui huffed, spinning her tantō between her fingers and taking a defensive stance. "Of course."

Leaning forward with an excited chuckle, the creature then assumed a running start. _**"I like that spirit. It's going to be a real treat when I get my hands on you and start-"**_

" _ **Raiton: Rariatto!"**_ (Lightning Release: Lariat) A female voice suddenly bellowed, interrupting the large monster when he was suddenly blindsided in the neck by a white and blue blur. Her left arm surrounded by lightning style chakra, the fast-moving Mabui nailed the hulking amphibious creature with a high-powered clothes-line to the neck, which not only filled the air with a sickening 'crack', but also lifted the beast off its feet and sent it flying towards the lake.

With a cry of pain, the giant beast crashed into the water, plowing through the surface before hitting the center of the lake with a depth-charge like splash. The tidal waves formed by the impact hit the shoreline in all directions, stirring the remains of the wharf and nearly reaching the Kumo team's position. In a matter of seconds the waves settled down, leaving a completely still and tranquil lagoon once again.

Straightening up from her attack, Mabui glared across at the lake and the cloud of steam still hanging over it. Upon watching the waves settle, she then turned to Samui and quickly gave her instructions.

"Go check on Karui and Naruto." the Jonin ordered with a serious and concerned tone of voice. "Make sure that both of them are alright. I'll stay here and finish this beast off."

Samui blinked as she looked up at the woman, "Huh? B-But sensei-"

"This monster is far too strong for you four kids to handle. With its abilities, I doubt even a crack Jonin squad would be able to take this thing down," Mabui informed, her brow narrowing sternly on the blonde girl. "Focus your attention on getting the villagers and the rest of you team to safety. Move them to the area behind the hills where there's cover and firmer ground. I'll back up the rear and-" Her eyes then widened when she suddenly felt a presence reappear on her radar, stopping her mid-sentence and prompting her to spin around.

A large whirlpool like vortex had appeared on the surface of the lake, sending ripples and waves spiraling outwardly and violently, causing an incredible stir. Seconds later, a powerful, high-pressure stream of water shot out of the center of the eddy and towards the shore, right where Mabui and Samui were standing. The speed and power of the attack was so great that it literally broke the sound barrier in flight.

Eyes widening in shock, both kunoichi jumped out of the way as fast as they could to avoid getting hit by the jet, with Samui performing a barrel roll across the floor and her Jonin instructor escaping through a shunshin. The focused stream struck the ground right where Mabui had been standing seconds earlier, effortlessly tearing through the earth as it then proceeded to follow the woman's blurred form. When the woman moved to stay ahead of the blast, the attack ended up cutting right through the village itself, slicing through multiple houses and taking their rooves off.

His building also getting cut through by the deadly jet, Omoi had to bug out from his lookout point to avoid falling with the ceiling, as the entire department store beneath him collapsed on itself.

But that wasn't the end of it. When Mabui stopped and looked in the direction the stream of water was shooting in, the kunoichi and the villagers ducking for cover all gawked in shock when they saw the water stream slice through the top of a mountain. The resulting diagonal cut through solid bedrock and stone sent the snowcapped peak sliding down the size of its host, causing several avalanches to thunder down the slopes as the island-sized mass crashed into the valleys below.

The shockwave generated by the crumbling monolith reached the village, rattling the landscape and shaking the buildings from their foundations.

Omoi blinked as he gaped at the cloud of dust rising from the now topless mountain from his position on the ground. "Whoa. That's insane."

After all, he'd never seen an attack literally cleave the top off of a mountain before. (Before anyone asks, Sasori did the exact same thing in his fight with Sakura and Chiho)

Samui shared the same reaction as her teammate, but was quicker in recovering from her reverie when she remembered her sensei's instructions. Scrambling back to her feet, the girl rushed into the village to get the townspeople out of there, and quickly met up with the fishermen and farmers taking cover by some destroyed buildings.

"What's happening out there?" a startled Tenzen asked from his spot by the wall, clutching a large harpoon between his arms. "Is it the monster?"

"Get the women and children to the outskirts of the village!" Samui shouted, pointing up the road and towards the ridge and tree line. "Take cover behind the hills and stay there. If things go bad, get them out of this region as fast as you can!"

Tenzen nodded firmly, "R-Right." He then waved for the men standing around him to move, hurriedly getting them back to their feet and out from behind cover.

The Genin watched the men rush off, making sure they got a safe distance away before turning and heading back to the edge of the village. She had to make sure that Karui and Naruto were alright, and whether or not the latter was still alive.

As a similarly shocked Mabui watched the destruction of the distant mountain ebb, she then had her attention snap over her shoulder when a black mass then jumped out of the shallows of the lake and crashed to the ground just a few yards behind her. Her eyes then traced up the hulking body of the creature, following its wet, scaly form up its abs to its bulging chest. When she got to its face, she immediately spotted the massive dent formed in its jaw from her lariat heal over; its bones, muscles and flesh snapping back into place. The water covering its slick form seemed to aid him in this process… oddly enough.

" _Did he… get bigger?"_ Mabui thought in alarm, taking note of the animal's now larger muscle mass and the fins protruding from its arms and head, which seemed to have flared up somewhat. Its veins were also visible and seemed to be throbbing angrily.

" _ **That… was fun,"**_ the aquatic animal spoke, at the same time giving Mabui a demonic leer. _**"You know, I really love a woman who knows how to play rough."**_ He added to this by slithering his tongue along the top of his lip while sizing up the dark-skinned beauty standing beneath him. _ **"Such a delectable slab of meat. Nice and tender."**_

Mabui gritted her teeth while reaching back for her blade, "If you want to eat, I dare you to try and get a bite."

" _ **With pleasure."**_ All of a sudden, the demon's form transformed into an indiscernible blur as he charged straight at the kunoichi, bringing its arm around for a swinging overhand.

Timing his attack, Mabui darted to the left, avoiding its fist as it crashed into the floor and punched a crater into the ground, splitting the earth right towards the edge of the village. The moment she dodged it and the blast of debris that followed, the Jonin drew a cluster of shuriken from her pouch and, performing a one-handed forward flip off the trembling earth, chucked them at the lake monster.

Turning in the direction of the approaching blades, the giant creature brought a clawed arm around and slapped them out of the air, sending the projectiles scattering across the floor.

When Mabui landed in a defensive stance, the kunoichi frowned up at it. "Sorry. But you're going to have to work for it." She then recoiled in surprise when she suddenly found herself face to face with a fang-lined mouth, which swiftly cut through the air and took a chomp at her.

" _ **If you say so."**_

The Jonin managed to leap back just in time to avoid the fangs of the disembodied jaws slicing through her skin and neck. But it did end up ripping the front part of her top, exposing the underside of her bountiful cleavage. Landing a safe distance away while pulling down the front of her now ruined shirt, Mabui looked up to see what'd attacked her and immediately spotted a long, snake-like appendage slithering out from the monster's open mouth. On closer inspection, it looked like an unnaturally long tongue, with a pair of jaws and razor-sharp fangs on the end of it. Needless to say when it reared back and hissed at her, the kunoichi felt a tad bit put-off, especially since a single strike almost ripped her stomach open.

" _ **Once it bites, my little moray here never lets go,"**_ the lake monster wielding the appendage exclaimed through a full mouth, his elongated, fanged tongue hissing once again. _ **"Not that it would matter, as it can deliver an extremely deadly dose of venom. If it gets you, you'll be dead in fifteen minutes."**_ He then sent his attachment streaking towards Mabui, intent on landing a strike that would put her out of commission.

However, just as the creature was in the process of feeding more tongue to the eel, the beast suddenly saw the woman vanish in a blur, before receiving a swift palm strike to the bottom of his jaw. The blow effectively clamped his mouth shut, causing his teeth to slice through his own extending tongue and chopping his live appendage off like a meat slicer. The result was the severed eel dropping to the ground while purple blood dribbled down the lake monster's chin.

Retracting her arm, Mabui quickly performed a back-flip, dodging the demon's fist when it swung at her with a wild punch. "An enemy who talks instead of acts leaves himself wide open!" Leaping into the air, the woman then curled her arms back and hurled a barrage of kunai laced with explosive tags at the monster.

The projectiles struck the beast as it covered up to defend, detonating with a series of concussive explosions that cracked the ground and scorched the dirt. Watching the fire and smoke swallow her target whole, Mabui then set herself into a defensive position, seconds before then seeing the smoke part when the demon lashed out at it with its clawed hands.

" _ **So you like to throw stuff, huh?"**_ the completely unscathed creature sneered with a grin, the muscles on its body bulging outwards and causing its scales to stand up. _**"Well, so do I!"**_ He then performed another swing with his arms, this time dislodging a series of razor-sharp scales from his person and sending the droplet shaped blades flying at Mabui in a salvo of green death.

Looking up in alarm as the projectiles shot towards her like bullets, the Jonin barely had enough time to cross her arms over her face as she was swiftly cut down by several of the monster's kunai. The force of their impact not only tore right through her, but also knocked her off her feet and into the air. An observing Omoi looked on in shock, as he believed that he'd just witnessed his team leader getting killed right in front of him.

But then, just when everyone thought it was over, Mabui's body went up in a puff of smoke, her form being instantly replaced by a thick piece of driftwood that then dropped to the floor with a loud clatter.

The sight of the scale riddled log had the lake monster blink in confusion and stare at the fallen block for a moment. This distraction of course meant that the demon was unable to see his Jonin target reappear directly behind him, at the same time striking down at his neck with her tantō. As she swung in, her blade quickly became shrouded in a sheath of blue lightning.

"You may be bigger, but you lack speed!" Mabui shouted, while simultaneously following through with her crackling, chakra elongated blade. _**"Raiton: Saigo Boruto!"**_ (Lightning Release: Last Bolt) Her fast-moving attack descended in a wide crescent flash, threatening to take out the beast with a single, clean, decapitating strike. At this distance, her blow was sure to hit.

But, much to her surprise, her attack missed, passing through nothing but air as the creature suddenly darted to the side in a blur and causing Mabui to balk in shock.

" _ **Speed like this?"**_ a voice suddenly spoke from behind the airborne woman, a split second before the kunoichi received a swift, heavy kick to the side of her body.

The attack landed with a sickening sound of bones crunching, drawing a cry of agony from Mabui as she was suddenly sent hurtling into a nearby building. Crashing straight through it and punching a human-sized hole in the structure, the woman bounced and tumbled along the ground on the other side, before eventually colliding with the trees on the edge of the woods.

As about two hundred yards of forest fell to the floor, the lake monster, now standing back on solid ground with the arm he'd used to strike dangling lazily at his side and his body hunched forward, then turned his attention from the downed Mabui to the last person left standing. Unfortunately for that individual in question, this turned out to be Omoi, who immediately took a cautious step back while shakily gripping the handle of his katana.

"Oh… I'm so dead," the boy mumbled to himself when he saw the menacing grin on the monstrous fish grow.

" _ **Interesting prophecy,"**_ the demon chuckled, his muscles bulking up as he once again took a sprinter's stance, aiming to charge his young target down like a bull. _**"But also accurate."**_ His rippling mass then exploded from the ground, dashing at the Kumo Genin in a shimmer of speed.

Omoi drew his sword, ready to meet his maker as he saw the creature's form fill his vision and tower over him in bullet time. Hell, his katana hadn't even been halfway drawn from its scabbard by the time the monster had covered the fifty yards of distance between them. From a spectator's point of view, the boy was pretty much fucked.

But just when it seemed as though the boy was about to get buried in the ground by the monster's enormous punch, a large, white blur unexpectedly darted from the side to intercept the aquatic creature, and collided with its side in a full-on tackle. Omoi blinked in astonishment when the next thing he saw was a massive, foxlike animal twice the size of a horse ramming shoulder-first into the green beast's ribcage, knocking the water demon flying across the clearing and towards the lake.

Hitting the brakes, the humanoid amphibian skidded to a stop, slamming a hand into the floor to stop while the other held the crown on top of its head. Once his momentum ceased, the dazed monster then looked up with a start. _**"Oh… what do we have here?"**_

Now standing in front of Omoi, her form enlarged several times over and five long tails whipping about behind her, a newly transformed Tama was now glaring down the enormous lake demon. Her teeth bared and a low growl reverberating from inside her throat, the fox charged up the five individual blue fireballs flickering on the tips of her appendages, with a sixth tail starting to protrude and grow from her back to join them. But then, just as she was in the process of gathering more chakra, the fox's growing body suddenly shuddered and a spurt of blood spat up from her mouth. This, coupled with the fact that the right side of her ribs still had a noticeable bruise and dent, indicated she was still badly hurt from the first hit she'd taken. The result caused her sixth tail to dissipate with a puff of blue fire, leaving her with only five.

Still though, this didn't mean her form was no less intimidating, an observation that Omoi found quite staggering as he gazed up at the transformed beast.

"Wh-Where the heck did you come from?" the dark-skinned boy asked as he gawked up at the furry white mammal standing in front of him.

Muscles creaking as it cracked its neck to the side, the muscular, steroid-junky of a demon formed a smirk and licked his lips. _**"A new challenger?"**_ He then dug the nails of his hand and webbed-feet into the floor, before springing off of it at an alarming speed. _**"How marvelous! I will definitely eat well tonight!"**_ His manic bellow was matched by the sheer speed and ferocity of his charge as he ran right at the giant fox, intent on taking it down in a head-on clash.

Giving a loud bark of her own that echoed across the region, Tama blasted off the ground and dashed at the demon as well, where the pair then collided in the middle of the barren, open field head first. Their impacting skulls generated a shockwave that punched a crater into the floor beneath them, and sent a blast of wind and debris flying everywhere, before the two equally sized creatures started duking it out with one another.

Tama started with a brutal lash across the amphibian's face with her left paw, followed by a right, both attacks smashing the demon's head from both sides and leaving two identical claw marks across its ugly mug. But after managing to knock it back following her swift one-two combo, the kitsune was then decked across the snout by the demon's own fist, which had her stumble backwards and retaliate with a fierce whip of two of her tails. The water demon ducked them, circled the giant animal, and then nailed her with a ferocious slash across her face. Yelping from the blow that drew blood and left a mark, Tama then countered with a swift kick to its ribs. Blocking the shot, the lake monster retaliated by grabbing her by the head, and driving a body shot followed by a knee into her stomach, only to then receive a head-butt to the ribs.

Grappling and pushing against one another, with Tama forcing herself in from below and the lake monster pressing down on her from above, the pair traded vicious tail whips and knees, until the amphibian leaned forward and bit down onto the fox's arm. Howling in agony, the fox opened her mouth and belched out a stream of blue fire, which engulfed the creature's head and forced it to let go.

Each of the demons' blows was marked by a resounding shockwave and the sound of cannon fire, as every attack they threw had the force equivalent to a freight train behind them. The result was the ground shaking violently beneath them from every exchange and strike they landed, with dust and debris being flung every which way as they danced around one another on the open clearing, trading blow after vicious blow. It was like a clash between tailed beasts.

As the heat of their scuffle grew, an observing Omoi could only watch from the sidelines in complete bewilderment, as their fight escalated from a demon boxing match into complete tooth on claw carnage. Seeing the duo shake the ground with every attack they made was almost like watching a fight between titans; a battle between a pair of otherworldly forces just refusing to back down. However, considering they were both demonic creatures of mythological scope and terror, he wasn't that far off from his analysis in the slightest.

At first it seemed like the two demons were evenly matched. From the way they were mercilessly pummeling and slashing one another like wild animals and trying to break each other's bones, it was very difficult to predict an outcome from this match. However, as they continued to fight and decimate the ground around them, tearing trenches and punching craters wherever they went, the stronger of the two quickly began to make itself known.

Landing a safe distance away after leaping over the fish demon's punch, Tama then brought three of her five tails back and sent them whipping towards her foe in a straight line shot; the appendages extending unnaturally at supersonic speeds while the ethereal flames blazed at their ends. Unfortunately the bulky lake demon anticipated this move and, with a quick swipe of its large hands, caught the three charging tails and trapped them underneath his armpits. Their force of impact with their target generated a shockwave that ripped the ground apart around the amphibian and sent him skidding back, the gale of wind tearing across the lake and decimating several acres of forest on the other side.

But through it all, the beast managed to hold his ground, grinning from ear to ear as a shocked look appeared on Tama's face.

" _ **Got yah!"**_ the lake monster laughed, before suddenly giving a hard yank on the fox's tails and violently pulling the massive kitsune towards him. When he ripped Tama off the floor and careering in his direction, he then flung the vixen over his shoulder and slammed her immense form into the ground, cracking the earth and drawing a pained yelp from the mammal. After which he then whipped her around and threw her down on the other side, before then spinning counterclockwise and tossing her into the sky. _**"YOOOOHHHHH!"**_

Tama was now airborne, spinning towards the clouds from the fish's monstrous throw at rocket speed. Of course, with her own incredible size and weight, her momentum wasn't to last for very long, as the giant fox was quick to right herself midair and slow her ascent. As soon as she did, she then took aim down at the enemy demon below and, opening her jaws, swiftly fired off three blue energy balls.

Dodging the first two and letting them detonate on the ground, the water demon then cocked its foot back and kicked at the last one like a soccer ball, sending it flying back at its owner in a curve. Tama swiftly dodged her deflected chakra blast, which went whizzing off into the distance to land in the forest, where it detonated with the force of a bomb and incinerated several trees. When she dropped back down on the edge of the clearing, she then produced five energy spheres from her tails, which then orbited above her like a halo. Upon which she then launched three of them one after the other at the fish.

Grinning excitedly, the water demon slapped away the first with his right, dodged the second, and turned his left shoulder into the third. While the first two spheres struck the nearby forest and the middle of the lake, the last chakra projectile clipped his limb and bounced off without any effect, zipping over the lagoon and crashing into the shore on the other side. When each energy ball made landfall, they all went up in three, massive low-yield tailed beast ball explosions, punching craters and sending smoke and rubble belching into the sky. By the time the shockwaves rolled to a stop and finished rattling the surrounding countryside, the shore around the lake had effectively been decimated.

The last two energy balls hovering on Tama's back came together, before she launched them at her opponent, spiraling around one another like a drill head. Just when it seemed like they were going to hit their target and wipe him out, the water demon reached out with both hands and caught them. Allowing them to push him back a few feet under their own power, the green monster seized control of them and, cocking his right arm over his shoulder, pitched the first one at the fox.

" _ **Fetch!"**_ He then watched the white vixen smack it away with one of her tails, sending it arcing into the woods to detonate safely away from the villagers and rocking the forested valley. Upon which the monster chucked the other ball across the ground, watching it bounce before impacting the ground at Tama's feet with a massive, fiery blast.

As rubble and smoke cascaded around the newly formed crater, a large, blazing ball of blue flames unexpectedly came charging out of the wall of dust. Breaking the sound barrier on approach, Tama streaked towards her opponent, coated in a shroud of burning chakra that tore a trench through the earth. When she eventually reached her foe a split second later, she collided with him headfirst, sending the beast skidding back along the floor and knocking the air out of his lungs.

Just when it seemed like she had it, the demon suddenly managed to stop himself, digging his flipper-like feet into the floor and locking his arms around the kitsune's burning waist from above. Upon which he then gave a loud growl, hoisted the five-tailed giant fox off the floor, and held her in the air upside-down. _ **"ORAAAAAAA!"**_ the demon bellowed, before then dumping Tama and smashing her head-first into the ground in a textbook powerbomb maneuver.

A massive area of the clearing was shattered by the force of the fox's impact, upturning massive segments and slabs of earth, including any nearby trees and buildings unfortunate enough to get caught in the impact zone. The tremors generated by the drop could be felt for kilometers, and knocked the nearby Genin off their feet.

"Damn! What the hell am I watching? A biju slugfest?" a fallen Omoi asked no-one in particular as he watched the giant fish demon grab Tama by a tail, pick her up and throw her across the ruined clearing to crash through a partially destroyed shed.

Helping the wounded Karui out of the building she'd been thrown into, a still undamaged Samui looked across at the two warring demons with a hint of nervousness on her face. "Those two are as strong as Killer Bee-sensei in his eight tail forms." This much was obvious from the horrendous level of destruction the pair were causing.

If this kept up, they would end up destroying the entire village and mountain range.

Meanwhile, as the shockwaves of the battle continued to ring out nearby, in one of the moderately damaged necks of the wooded area, a battered and bleeding Mabui had just finished picking herself up out from underneath the tree that she'd crashed into. Limping as she stood up, it didn't go unnoticed that her left arm was hanging flaccidly from her shoulder, which seemed to be protruding in an unnatural way.

Hissing as she walked up to a nearby evergreen tree, blood dribbling from her hairline and the corner of her mouth, the Jonin then rolled back her left side and slammed her shoulder into the trunk. Letting out a yelp, she then repeated this action a couple more times, before a loud 'crack' rang out when her arm popped back into its socket. "AHHH, FUCK!" The act of doing so drew a scream of pain from Mabui, who then gasped for breath and took a moment to let the stabbing sensation settle.

Once all her body parts were back in their rightful positions, the kunoichi then gave a growl and, leaning off the tree, allowed a current of lightning to shoot down her body.

Back out in the clearing, where the fight between the two demons had escalated into a chakra slugfest, both Tama and the fish demon butted heads in a grappling match. Trading blows with claws and flailing limbs as they dug their feet into the crumbling floor, the white fox managed to hook her head around and chomp down hard on the lake monster's shoulder; her fangs burying into its thick, scaly flesh. After a cry of pain left the merman's lips, he then roared and, wrapping an arm around the giant fox's body, began hammering her ribs with dozens of vicious body blows. When her hind leg kicked up and riddled his stomach with deep gashes, the water beast then grabbed her by the neck, pried her off, and shoved her into the floor.

Ramming his arm into her neck and pinning her at the bottom of the crater, the demon then glared down at the snow vixen while she glared back up at him. Upon which a murderous grin spread across his toothy mouth. _**"Tamamo no Mae… is that you?"**_ He then chuckled when he saw the yellow eyes of the fox glare back at him, blood leaking out of the scar on her cheek while the scratches on his face slowly healed. _**"It is. Ha! Now isn't this a pleasant surprise. I never expected to fight the legendary fox princess head-to-head in this backwater town. What are the odds?"**_ His eyes then gleamed venomously. _**"You're pretty good. To be honest though… I was hoping for a much better fight."**_

" _ **Shut up!"**_ the giant fox barked back, before bringing both her hind legs up and kicking the giant, talking amphibian off of her.

The demon's body flew back at rocket speed over the lake, where he ended up bouncing off of the surface and landing right in its very center. Flipping himself over onto all fours, the creature ended up suspending himself on top of the lagoon where, after looking up with a grin, began absorbing the water around him into his body. Streams of liquid coursed up his muscles and scales, quickly causing his skin to darken, his body to bulk up even more, and his frame to increase in size.

When his fins spread and flared, his once human-like face slowly morphed into something more shark-like. His eyes grew black, his teeth sharpened, and gills appeared on both sides of his jaw. Touching the crown sitting over his head tentatively, the beast then ran its clawed fingers down its new, menacing visage.

" _ **My name is Suiro; a child of the waters and rivers of the world, the King of the Deep, and the lord of this lake!"**_ the water beast boomed in a deeper, rougher and more monstrous sounding voice, at the same time as he watched the giant white fox roll to her feet and assume a crouching stance on all fours. _**"All life on this planet came from the water as if she were our mother! In other words, as master of the tides, I sit at the top of a pyramid that includes every living organism on this planet!"**_ A blast of steam left his nostrils as his muscles expanded even more and a confident grin pulled across his mouth. _**"You lot are standing in my territory… MY domain! As long as I have water, I am invincible! Kaguya, Yuki, Kazusa, Madara… not even the infamous Tamamo no Mae can defeat me!"**_

Giving a low growl, Tama quickly grew tired of this demon's babbling. Digging her claws into the ground, the vixen lifted her head and opened her mouth. As she did, blue fire began gathering in front of her jaw at blazing speed, forming a twisting vortex that rapidly grew and morphed in a pulsating sphere of chakra. At the same time a powerful gale started twisting around her, ripping outwards and sending a cloud of dust billowing in every direction. The fast growing anomaly affected the atmosphere as well, the white clouds drifting overhead gradually forming into a cyclone.

Omoi, feeling the ground beneath him tremble as the giant white fox focused energy into what he thought was a _**Bijudama**_ , stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope." He then quickly got the fuck out of there, clambering to his feet and sprinting towards the tree line for cover.

There was no way he was going to be anywhere near ground zero of what was about to happen next.

Seeing the fox's attack being charged put an excited grin on Suiro's face, _**"A chakra tug-of-war match? Very well. Give me your best shot!"**_ His back muscles swelling up like a balloon, the fish demon took a deep breath as the water running up his limbs into his body increased in speed and quantity. After taking aim, the demon reared its head back, groaned, and spewed out a powerful, concentrated stream of high-pressure water enhanced with copious amounts of chakra, which broke the sound barrier and rocketed across the lake at hyper sonic speed. _**"Funsai Suiryoku Taiho!"**_ (Crushing Hydro Cannon)

" _ **Tentai Bunkatsu Yajirushi!"**_ (Celestial Splitting Arrow) Tama then threw her head forward and belched out a powerful, blue beam of energy that expanded at sonic speed upon release, and shot towards the oncoming jet of water. The head of the chakra blast sharpened as it broke the sound barrier several times, before colliding with the fish demon's attack over the lake with an earsplitting thunderclap.

What followed from there was a shockwave that tore across the entire lake and valley, causing a ripple of force to travel across the ground, distorting it in the form of a tsunami. The moment the tidal wave of energy hit the shore, crashing into the upturned boats, damaged buildings and forests, hurricane winds began rushing over the landscape in an unending, violent gale for several kilometers, which ran right up the surrounding mountains. Trees bent, houses collapsed, earth was transformed into showers of confetti, and the atmosphere above started to churn and twist, as a massive storm system was formed over the two warring demons.

The people in the region literally had to hold on for dear life wherever they were taking cover, as it felt like a continuous low-yield nuclear explosion was taking place in the center where the attacks were meeting.

As the two energy beams continued to drill into one another over the surface of the lake, sending violent waves of water and wind blasting in all four cardinal paths, the pair of demons fed more power into their attacks. While Suiro added more chakra to his water, concentrating his beam into a sharper point, Tama sent more chakra down the line of her blast, causing it to grow hotter, glow brighter, and the gale behind her to intensify. This caused their tug-of-war match to start climbing towards a state of critical mass, as the point their attacks were meeting was beginning to distort space and rip into the earth at the bottom of the enormous lake.

The noise and power being generated by their blasts was biblical, with both opponents determined to either knock out or kill the other.

As bolts of lightning and thunder rained down upon the area, the team of _Kumogakure_ watching from the sidelines could only look on in abject shock, wondering who out of the two demons would prevail.

After a tense, two minute struggle between the super powered creatures, the victor was eventually decided. With one last surge of water down his stream, the lake demon deflected Tama's blast skywards, sending it shooting up into the stratosphere like a bolt where it detonated with the force of a thermonuclear bomb. A ball of fire choked the sky and parted the clouds, clearing away the cyclone that'd been formed in the wake of their battle. His water blast meanwhile flew on, striking the stunned white fox and sending her careening into the village.

Smashing through a building, the kitsune was then knocked from the jet of water's course, landing in a pile of debris and timber, while Suiro's water blast went straight into the base of the mountain several miles behind them, exploding out the back and sending rubble the size of small islands cascading down into the valley on the other side.

When the smoke and dust settled from the clash, Tama's form soon revealed itself lying on her side amidst the remnants of a fishing store wall on the edge of the village. Twitching and groaning with pain, the giant white kitsune slowly began to get up, only to have the side of her head shoved back down into the dirt while a large mass sat itself on top of her body. Pinned and unable to move, the kitsune could only look up to see the venomous grin of the now even larger, sharkafied Suiro leaning over her, with his razor-sharp teeth dripping with saliva.

A low chortle left the beast's throat. _**"I think it's time to end this little game of ours. Though I give you credit for managing to put a few scratches on me, unfortunately for you they've already healed up. Sorry. But it'll take far more than that to kill a demon of my caliber,"**_ the giant lake monster stated, before his grin widened even more. _**"Die."**_ Inhaling deeply, Suiro then opened his jaws to an impossibly wide degree, similar to that of a snake, which allowed all of his dagger-like teeth to come into play. He then leaned in, ready to sink his jaws into her neck and take her head off.

However, just as he was only an inch away from chomping down and Tama was struggling with all her power just to try and get free, Suiro suddenly felt a thump in his back and stopped. Closing his mouth, he then looked across the clearing to his left, where he saw Omoi standing not too far from him, sword drawn and hand outstretched, indicating he'd just thrown something. When the demon looked down at his shoulder, he saw two kunai buried into his scaly skin.

The beast then looked to his other side, where he then spotted Samui and Karui standing with their own weapons drawn, and hateful glares fixed squarely upon him. After spotting the pair of kunoichi, the giant fish chuckled, released his hold on the wounded Tama, whom he left lying in the pile of wooden debris, and rose to full height to confront the Kumo Genin. When he did, he again lifted his hand to rub the crown of coral sitting atop his bald head.

Hunched over, the massive Suiro spoke with a snarl. _**"So… you three wish to go first? Hm?"**_ Muscles swelling and veins pulsating intensely, the lake beast leered as his eyes switched between the three Genin, all of whom took a worried step back. _**"Allow me to do the honors."**_

"OI! FISH CAKE!"

The demon stopped with a sudden lurch as his glare was then drawn towards another part of the ruined clearing. Across the cracked, uneven, smoldering earth making up the lake's shoreline, both Suiro and the Kumo Genin saw Naruto standing at the edge of the woods.

Though Samui was thrilled to see the blond was still alive, her expression lighting up the moment her eyes landed on him, she and the others quickly noticed that he was in really bad shape. Aside from his jacket and pants being torn in several places, he also had swelling around his right eye, multiple cuts on his skin, a piece of wood lodged in his left shoulder, and blood running down his face from his hairline, giving him a very battered, beaten soldier look.

On the plus side the kid was on his feet and, from the looks of it, was raring for a fight. This much was obvious by how he shouted to get Suiro's attention and was now wielding a seven-foot, bamboo Bo staff in his right hand.

As soon as he saw the lake demon glance in his direction, Naruto marched forward, at the same time reaching into his wrists and undoing the weight bands. When the two bands clattered loudly into his hand, he then tossed them aside, allowing them to crash to the floor several feet away with a resounding metallic 'crack', as the ridiculously heavy objects of over a hundred kilos each punched a sizable divot into the floor. The sight of the boy removing the weights had Samui, Karui and Omoi gape, as they then observed the blond kick off the two weights strapped to his ankles under his pants.

Once the last of his weights thudded to the floor, a now light-footed Naruto spun his staff around his body in a masterfully stylish manner, before then jabbing the tip forward. His eyes then widened and his bruised face twisted into one of fury, as he then set all his sights squarely on Suiro.

"FACE MEEEEEEEE!"

Staring at the boy for a moment after hearing his battle cry and demand to fight, an excited leer then crossed Suiro's mug, before the giant fish crouched low, cocked his arms back, and sprinted towards the child in a charge. His take-off was marked by a sonic boom, which cracked the floor beneath him and sent a gust of wind blowing outwards.

" _ **YOU'RE MINE, RUUUNT!"**_

While the Kumo team held their ground and watched the giant demon sprint through their formation, Samui's eyes widened and body reeled forward. "NARUTO! NO!"

The delinquent didn't hear her, as he too had set off and was charging at the monster ten times his size. In spite of this glaring difference in scale, the boy was able to match the creature's agility as it thundered towards him, the child continuing to fix the grinning Suiro with a fearless glare as he swung his staff back and gave a mighty battle cry.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGH!" Naruto's voice echoed across the field as he then leapt at the beast and met it head-on, his staff slamming into its haymaker with a loud crack of a shockwave.

What immediately followed was the blond dropping to the ground and beginning to dance around Suiro's fists and kicks, which began lashing out at him in a blinding flurry of rock splitting strikes. Every thrust and swing the lake demon made on the boy was marked by a loud gust of wind, as the power behind each of his attacks was of a level beyond anything on the continent. But keeping his cool, Naruto nimbly ducked, slipped and weaved around every single one of the creature's swipes, trading blows with the bipedal animal in a blur by using his staff to match the monster's reach.

Even with the aid of his staff Naruto still had to step in deep and jump in to close the gap; a task that wasn't a problem for the nimbler blond.

Watching Naruto dodge the amphibian's swings by a hair's breadth and retaliate with a blow of his own caused the hairs on the backs of the Kumo Genin to stand on end, as they knew if he got tagged even once he was not going to be getting up. They watched the monstrous beast chase him around the clearing in a massive, hulking green blur, while its much smaller target darted and circled around him in a yellow flicker. As the loud snapping sounds of Naruto's staff making contact filled the area and the boy continued to run from Suiro's blows, the team from _Kumogakure_ had half a mind to believe that this match was completely one-sided and that all of Naruto's attacks were useless.

However, after a couple of minutes of watching, Samui then narrowed her eyes when she noticed something off about the exchange.

A splatter of purple blood across the floor then had the blonde girl blink in surprise. "Naruto… he's damaging it!"

"Seriously?" Karui asked, the battered girl looking across at her teammate in confusion. "Against that massive thing? How?"

"She's right," Omoi spoke up loudly, at the same time pointing towards the open field. "Look closely!"

And Karui did. When the girl squinted in an attempt to analyze the engagement more closely, she saw for herself exactly what the other two were able to spot. Through the blur of crisscrossing attacks and parries, despite Naruto being completely on the defensive, the Genin from _Kumogakure_ could see the blond nailing the creature with precise, accurate strikes of his staff.

How he was accomplishing this was simple, but brilliant.

Naruto wasn't hitting the creature by going head-to-head with it. He was actually waiting for Suiro to take a swing at him and, as soon as it did, the blond would move at the last second, parry the creature's attack with his staff, and counter on the same swing; striking the beast either across the face, chest, torso, or forward limb. By doing so, Naruto was literally reflecting the monster's strength back onto it by catching the creature's attacks with his staff and using the momentum from them to spin his staff into it, with his body acting as a hinge and pivot-point for that movement.

The reflexes it took to pull this off was of an absurdly high level, as Naruto was putting himself directly into the path of each of its blindingly fast and dangerous attacks.

However, from what Samui, Karui and Omoi could see, his strategy was working. Every time Naruto caught the demon's blow, his staff would follow through and hit it, either bashing it across the face or thumping it in the stomach. Every once in a while the blond would avoid a few of its attacks, and then wait to counter it with a blow of his own, taking advantage of its momentum and adding his own to land a strike double the strength of its attack. The result was him managing to knock its head and weight around, causing it to stumble at the end of a combination when he was able to upset its balance.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto gave a yell as he dodged its right straight, catching the end of its knuckles with his staff and using its momentum to spin his staff around his upper back to catch the creature across the face. His staff struck with a loud 'crack', snapping Suiro's head to the side and knocking a couple of teeth out of its mouth. The second the beast stumbled, the blonde followed up with an upward swing of his Bo staff, smacking its chin skywards, before jumping up and nailing the beast with a spinning roundhouse kick to its neck.

Giving an infuriated snarl, Suiro lunged in with a haymaker in an attempt to take out the blond. But the delinquent ducked his blow and drove into his ribs with repeated side-to-side strikes with his Bo, knocking him back before finishing with a shot to its forward leg. Knocking his foot out and dropping the hulking beast to its knee, Naruto spun around, smashing his staff across its face. He then hooked his pole under its other leg and, with a loud roar, lifted it up and threw the monster onto its back, dropping him to the ground with a thud.

Naruto then leapt away, spinning his staff about swiftly before landing in a crouch. Digging his feet into the floor, he then leapt high into the sky. his body disappeared in the light of the sun, which Suiro could see glaring directly overhead. It masked the boy's shadow completely.

The sight had the fish demon growl as the bones in his jaw healed and the blood trickling from the corner of his lips was lapped up, _**"Little pest…"**_

" _ **Bōjutsu: Soraki!"**_ (Stick Technique: Skyfall) With a mighty bellow, Naruto dropped down from the air like a bullet, his body breaking the sound barrier twice as he held his stick overhead and struck down with it in a wide arc.

Spotting the attack, the massive lake creature rolled backwards and jumped away, barely avoiding the blonde's blow wjen it struck the floor. The result was instantaneous; the force generated from the attack causing a loud thunderclap of force that split a fissure into the earth, sending rubble and debris flying outwards in a blast of wind. The wind itself struck Suiro with full effect, causing its flesh and muscles to ripple, and sending the giant creature flying backwards at speed.

Slamming his feet into the soil allowed Suiro to skid to a stop, upon which the beast reached up to grab the crown of coral it was wearing, something that the entire Kumo team took notice of. Making sure it was still there, the sharkafied demon then smirked when he saw the dust settle around the newly made crevasse Naruto had formed in the middle of the clearing, where he saw the blond boy standing and panting.

" _ **Interesting. Heh-heh… very interesting, runt,"**_ the creature exclaimed, before then removing his hand from its head and letting it dangle at his side tauntingly. _**"I never expected to find an opponent this entertaining… especially a child."**_

Naruto, glare tightening, wasted no time in dashing towards the beast to continue his bout. Zigzagging in a blond blur, the young traveler then jumped up and struck across at the beast's head with a spinning strike, only to watch its hand snap up and catch his staff. The kid then found himself frozen in midair, staring down at Suiro in shock as the fish held him there one-handedly by the stick and smirking broadly.

" _ **But… your attacks aren't hurting me… not really."**_ With that said, Suiro then grabbed Naruto by one of his arms, swung him over his shoulder, and slammed him into the ground with an earsplitting crack, causing the blond to bounce off the floor with a gasp of pain. When his battered body eventually rolled to a crumpled heap just a few feet from the demon, the giant amphibian marched over to him, tossed his Bo aside, and then drew back its clawed hand to finish him off. _**"Too bad for you. Good bye."**_ He then swung down at the boy with the intent of impaling him with his nails.

However, just as he was about to follow-through with his downward thrust, Suiro then sensed a dangerous presence directly behind him and, spinning around, backhanded an airborne Omoi in the side. The Genin was struck in the ribs with crushing force, drawing a cry of pain from the sword-wielding boy as he was effectively knocked out of the air and sent bouncing across the clearing. As Suiro turned to focus his attention on the new attacker, he was then clipped in the face by two shuriken cutting him across the cheek, drawing blood. When his head snapped in the direction they came from, he saw Karui standing there with her hand outstretched.

With the animal distracted, a silently moving Samui circled around behind the creature while flying through hand seals. Positive that she was in its blind spot, the girl then leapt into the air above it, and dove down at the back of its head with her arms crossed over and hands surrounded by two, crackling spheres of lightning.

" _ **Raiton: Sandaboruto!"**_ (Lightning Release: Thunderbolt) the girl chanted in her head, as she then aimed to decapitated the beast with a double-cross to its neck. However, just before she could even get into range, she suddenly saw Suiro's fist fly over his right shoulder and smash her in the face. The blow not only smashed her in the nose, but also reflected her momentum back onto her and knocked her out of the air to crash back-first into the floor.

Tumbling twice, the girl ended up lying sprawled out on her front. When she looked up moments later in a daze with blood dripping from her nose and hairline, she saw the lake demon standing directly over her and glaring down at her with its glowing yellow eyes.

With her and Omoi down, Naruto struggling to get to her feet, and Karui stuck on what to do next, the team of young heroes were rapidly running out of options.

" _ **Attacking from behind again? You land apes are seriously starting to get on my nerves,"**_ Suiro spoke as he then raised his foot and prepared to squash Samui beneath him.

But the instant he set his wait forward, a spark from the woods to his far left was quickly followed by a blinding flash, as the giant monster fish was decked across the face by what could only be described as a ray of white light.

" _ **Tenso no Kuroso!"**_ (Heavenly Cross) the battle cry of Mabui filled the air as the white haired Jonin nailed Suiro in the cheek with a full-power, right straight. Her form bathed in a white sheath of ethereal light, the woman gave a gutsy scream of effort as she powered her attack into the monster's face, bolts of electricity running up her body before an enormous flash of lightning engulfed the creature. The demon's own cry of agony was drowned out by the thunderclap that followed, as the blast of lightning that swallowed him up shot across the lake and streaked all the way to the other side. It struck the distant shore a split second later, causing a megaton-level explosion to scorch the land and fill the sky.

As a fiery mushroom cloud choked the area and the shockwave from the lightning bolt making landfall sent a tidal ripple across the surface of the lagoon, Samui, Naruto and the others watched in shock and relief as a visibly damaged Mabui, her right arm sizzling from the blow she landed, stood there in a fighting stance.

Panting heavily, the woman watched the mushroom cloud a mile away settle down over the area it'd formed and the raging waters in front of her settle. About a minute later, as her team started to think that the Jonin had managed to kill the creature, they suddenly saw an unusual wake on the surface of the lake shooting towards them. As the anomally approached, Mabui gritted her teeth and widened her stance when, leaping out of the fast-moving surf, the black mass of their demonic opponent crashed down on the ruined ground before them. When it rose up to full height, it revealed the shark-faced monstrosity with a gaping hole in its cheek, which pretty much showed off its shattered teeth and jaw.

Its bones slowly healing and resetting from the water dripping down its now even bigger body, the severely wounded Suiro snarled. _**"That hurt. Now… I'm angry."**_ Speaking with a noticeable mumble due to having half of his mug crushed, the fish demon soon started speaking normally once more as the muscles and skin over its facial wound healed over. _**"I'm going to tear you to shreds, you fucking wench."**_ Spitting the blood out of its mouth, its lower jaw then snapped back into place and its face inflated to its usual roundedness.

When the wounded children edged away from the beast now glaring murderously at all of them, Mabui quickly stepped into its line of sight. Her arm still smoldering and singed from her lightning fast attack, her body battered and blood still trickling down her visage, the Jonin then spoke in a loud and serious tone of voice. "I am… Mabui Yamazaki… head of the Yamazaki Clan, Jonin of _Kumogakure_ , third strongest ninja in the _Land of Lightning_ , and the strongest kunoichi in my village. As assistant and bodyguard that has served directly under both the Third and Fourth Raikage, I absolutely refuse to be beaten by some giant, walking, talking fish from the bottom of a lake!" Clenching her fists, the woman straightened up and gave a gutsy howl of effort. "LET ME SHOW YOU THE FULL STRENGTH OF THE RAIKAGE'S RIGHT FIST! _**RAITON CHAKURA MODO!**_ " (Lightning Release Chakra Mode)

The instant she let out that battle cry, her entire body became engulfed by a blue cloak of electricity, which sparked and crackled violently. A shockwave was generated by her power up, which caused the entire ground to lurch and all the kids watching nearby to stumble clumsily from her sudden increase in strength. Her muscles tightening as all of her nerves and senses were lit up by the shroud of lightning, Mabui allowed a moment for her form to adjust to the sensations, upon which she then leaned forward and propelled herself at the giant water demon at full speed.

From Naruto and the Kumo team's perspective, Mabui just vanished in a blur and a puff of dust. But from Suiro's point of view, he could see the lightning bolt form of his opponent arc around the field and charge at him from his left. Gaze widening, the creature instinctively thrust a punch out at the woman, at the exact same time she spun at him with a kick.

A loud crack of thunder rang out when both their blows connected with the other person's face in a simultaneous exchange; Suiro driving his left straight into the woman's cheek while her heel buried into his face, knocking blood and saliva flying out of their mouths. Though the strength of their attacks would've concussed any normal person on impact, the demon and the Jonin weren't put off in the slightest. In fact, after feeling the beast's knuckles corkscrew into her cheek, Mabui then dragged her face down the length of its bulging arm, and unleashed a hell storm of attacks upon his person.

What followed after that was the most vicious, fastest boxing match in the history of shinobi combat as both the water-charged Suiro and super-charged Mabui started exchanging blows at blinding speed. Sparks and shockwaves rang out as the two attacked their opponent with a continuous string of blows, their punches and kicks blurring together into an indescribable shimmer of two people duking it out in the middle of the battlefield. As they circled and danced around one another, firing off punch after punch, Samui and her friends looked on as the ground literally caved in beneath the pair, as the amount of power they were unleashing was now reaching critical, region destructive levels.

"S-So strong," Naruto gasped in disbelief, unable to believe what he was seeing. Clearly the two fighters were of an entirely different cut compared to him... by a ridiculously wide margin. How would he be able to get that strong?

With their strength and speed, the audience of young ninja could barely keep up with what was happening. They couldn't even count the number of blows both combatants were exchanging and landing on the other. This told all those who were observing that neither the woman nor the beast were messing around anymore, and that they were now fighting with everything they had.

Well… one of them was anyway.

This vicious exchange lasted for a full minute, with neither person giving ground. It eventually reached a point where one of them made a misstep, resulting in Suiro receiving a swift hook across the cheek that distorted his face and sent purple blood splattering across the floor. The moment his body lurched back from the strike, Mabui used that opening to draw her left fist back, and power an uppercut right into the demon's face. The earsplitting blow lifted the hulking amphibian off the floor and shooting straight up into the sky at rocket speed. After flying about half a kilometer into the clouds above the lake, Suiro's ascent eventually came to an end.

Mabui's attack however didn't. The moment Suiro slowed, the woman thrust both hands skywards and unleashed a blast of pure lightning from her palms. _**"Raiton: Tenku no Hashira!"**_ (Lightning Release: Heavenly Pillar) A torrent of electricity exploded from her hands, expanding in a brilliant blue blast of chakra that shot up towards the clouds and filled the atmosphere. Multiple thunderclaps rang out as streams of electricity whipped through the air, swallowing up Suiro and cooking him from the inside-out.

The funnel of lightning continued to spew from Mabui's hands for several seconds, lighting up the sky and the land beneath. But after several surges of chakra, the airborne Suiro suspended in the pillar of electricity gave a loud roar of pain, clenched his fists, and bulked up his body. All of his muscles expanded sharply, unleashing a shockwave that dispelled the lightning stream zapping him from below. Upon which he then spun around when he sensed his opponent teleport into the air directly behind him, his right fist cocked back for a punch.

The instant he was about to throw it though, the kunoichi's eyes widened and a golden flash left her pupils. _**"Raiton: Raikogan!"**_ (Lightning Release: Lightning Eye) This blinding flash from the Jonin hit Suiro's face like a strobe, causing his eyes to widen in horror when everything in his vision turned pure white. When the flash ended a split second later, the monstrous fish's pupils were glazed over, while the fiend himself was in a complete daze.

" _ **I-I can't see."**_ The stricken Suiro was then cut off by Mabui dropping an axe kick directly into his chest, which dug in and sent the giant demon propelling towards the ground at breakneck speed.

Like a meteor, the green demon plummeted into the shore by the lake far away from the village with a thunderous crash. His landing alone punched a sizable crater into the floor, collapsing trees and enormous slabs of ground into its center, which Mabui was able to mark as her lightning imbued form shot down after him. Cocking her fist behind her, the Jonin gave a mighty war cry as she thrust down at the monster with a blindingly fast onslaught of attacks.

" _ **Raiton: Arashi Buro!"**_ (Lightning Release: Storm Blow) A salvo of lightning fast punches rained down upon the creature's position, hammering into his body without restraint or mercy. The ferocity and speed of the attack made it look like the punches came down on Suiro all at once from a distance, when in fact it was hundreds of punches stringed together, forming an unending barrage of blows that struck all over the amphibious demon's body.

As the assault continued, the ground beneath the demon began to cave in, until the bombardment of vicious punches started burrowing Suiro into the earth. As his body convulsed and warped under the sheer number of attacks, Mabui then looked up through her assault when she noticed the wide, bloody grin spreading across the beast's face.

Through the unending pummeling of his face, chest and torso, the demon leered. _**"You really like combo attacks, don't you?"**_

With one last surge of chakra, Mabui finished her combination with a single straight, which buried into the giant demon and plowed him through the earth. His body tore a trench through the ground and into the forest for a kilometer, with the kunoichi pushing him along. As another acre of trees was felled by the battle with the rampaging monster, the observing team of Genin and Naruto watched and waited to see what would happen next.

Their answer came to them moments later when a powerful jet of water suddenly came blasting through the woods towards them, pushing Mabui along and cutting through the evergreens. The attack sent the kunoichi bouncing across the ruined clearing, where she eventually crashed in the center of the field, her chakra cloak dispelled, her body soaking wet, and a grievous burn mark in her stomach. The woman spat up blood when her muscles stopped twitching, upon which she hissed and dug her fingers into the earth.

"H-He's too strong," the Jonin choked, gritting her teeth as she attempted to move her battered body through force of will.

Naruto, Samui and Omoi, still lying on the ground recovering from their own wounds, and the still transformed Tama also lying not too far away, then craned their heads towards the forest Mabui had flown through. When the dust and leaves settled from the destruction laid out by the powerful jet of water, the group then heard the dull thuds of heavy footfalls when, from out of the shadows, they saw the hulking form of Suiro march into view. Still grinning from ear-to-ear with that menacing leer and appearing completely unscathed, despite having transformed back to its original humanoid state, the monster from the lake ambled towards the group with a victorious spring in each step.

Stopping at the edge of the clearing so that he could see Mabui lying in the center of the area, with the children and Tama scattered all around her, the beast chuckled darkly. _**"What? Is that it? There really are no more soldiers who wish to challenge me?"**_ Suiro asked. When he received no response other than a few nervous stares, the devilish beast breathed a heavy sigh and rolled his shoulders. _**"Hmph. Fine. I'm getting bored with you lot anyway."**_

Karui, gritting her teeth, charged forward with a yell. "We're not finished yet!" she shouted. Before any of her friends could shout to her and tell her to stop, the kunoichi was already thrusting her sword towards the creature's gut in an attempt to impale him with a running blow. _**"**_ _ **Kumo-Ryū**_ _ **Sasu!"**_ (Cloud-Style Stab)

But the moment she struck with her weapon, the creature's hand suddenly shot up and caught her blade between his thumb and finger. Pressing down on it, he held the stunned girl's weapon in place before drawing back his other hand and giving her a swift, backhanded chop across the body. The blow easily knocked the young girl off her feet and flying across the clearing, where she eventually tumbled and formed a crumpled heap on the floor. Karui gave a pained cough as she lay there, her cheek in the dirt and blood running out of her mouth.

Tossing the girl's sword away, Suiro huffed. _**"Pathetic."**_

As Suiro wallowed in his disappointment in his preparation to kill them, Naruto and everybody else continued to lie where they were, clawing at the ground and desperately trying to think up a way to defeat this seemingly unstoppable creature. When it started to march towards the wounded and struggling Mabui, their anxiety began to climb at an accelerated rate, and their will to survive pushed their brains to their breaking points.

"Damn it, guys," Naruto cursed, pushing himself off the floor as blood trickled down his face. "There has to be some way to kill this thing."

Samui, also struggling to get back up, shook her head furiously. "Yeah. But how? No matter how much we try to beat on it or cut it, it just shrugs off our attacks and keeps on coming."

An equally battered Omoi nodded in agreement. "It has to have some kind of weakness."

As Suiro continued its final march towards Mabui, the children and the Jonin quickly did an assessment of what they knew so far.

The lake monster was super strong and incredibly durable. Though bladed and blunt weaponry could damage it when imbued with enough force, the sheer mass of the creature's muscles and size meant that it wouldn't be distracted or disabled for very long. It also had incredible speed and dexterity despite its scale and weight, making it even more difficult to fight. But what was even more terrifying was its abilities.

Its tongue could stretch and deliver a venomous, flesh tearing bite, with its teeth also giving it the same capacity to chomp through skin and bone. It had long claws, powerful punches, could throw its scales like shuriken, and fire high-pressure blasts of water powerful enough to cut through entire mountains and bedrock. Aside from being fiercely intelligent and vicious, he also had incredible regenerative abilities, allowing it to heal from potentially fatal wounds in a matter of seconds. He did this through absorption of water.

This seemed to be the key to its incredible power. By absorbing the water from the lake, the beast could use it to augment the structure of its body to increase its power, speed and fighting capacity, while also granting it an endless supply of energy and ammunition. It also seemed to use the same element to heal, as whenever it received critical injury, it would always retreat to the water to 'refuel' in a way.

On this observation, the _Kumogakure_ team and Naruto deduced that if they could somehow separate it from the water, they could beat it. But the main problem was that it could store the water inside of its body and use it as liberally or economically as it wished. So even if they did move him from the lake he could still come back, through brute force if he had to. This meant that they had to find some other weakness.

It was then while he was watching the beast close the final feet of distance between it and Mabui, Naruto suddenly noticed something off about its actions.

For what he figured was the tenth time during their fight, the creature reached up to scratch his head around its crown, where a lot of water seemed to be dripping from. At first the blond and the others didn't take too much notice of it, as the ornament was probably Suiro's way of illustrating his dominance over the area in an arrogantly human kind of way. But after seeing him massage the area around his head a few times, as well as reach up to make sure his crown hadn't moved, they quickly realized that this wasn't just an ordinary force of habit.

Watching the beast scratch its scalp prompted Naruto, Samui and the others to squint a little more closely. It was then, through its odd gesture, the kids spotted an odd-looking scar running around its head in a ring. On first inspection the wound appeared as just a crease in its scales, but when they zoomed in on it, they saw that it was actually being tied down by seaweed, with the crown of coral providing it with a cement holding the top of his head in place. They weren't able to spot it before due to the sharp mass of fungus growing on its cranium, giving it a very menacing appearance. However, thanks to it constantly reaching up to scratch that part of its skull, and it being thrown about constantly, the coral had moved enough for them to catch a glimpse of the wound.

"That's it," Naruto whispered, before quickly looking across at Samui and the others. "Do you guys see that?"

"Yeah," Samui said back, at the same time placing her hands beneath her and pushing herself up with a growl. "That means… there's still a chance to beat it…"

Feeling a swell of hope fill his chest, Naruto also forced himself to his feet, his legs wobbling from the throw the monster had performed on him.

Suiro was soon upon Mabui's position. Just as the Jonin kunoichi had gotten back to her feet, the beast suddenly slammed its massive hand into her body and drove her back into the floor. Cracking the ground, the beast then leant over the woman, who gripped its large fingers and attempted to pry them off of her. But as hard as she tried, she was unable to stop the heavy, muscular beast from leaning over and leering at her.

" _ **I'm going to enjoy devouring you whole,"**_ Suiro hissed as its eyes took in the battered, attractive young woman it was now keeping pinned to the ground. After looking her over for a good several seconds, its grin widened as it then stuck its tongue out and ran it up her cheek, causing Mabui to shudder from the cold appendage slithering over her skin. _**"Or maybe… I'll keep you around and have some fun with you first."**_

Mabui then glared up at it, with a look of fear quickly reflecting in her eyes when she saw the beast lean in with its razor sharp fangs. Whatever fate lay in store for her, it did not promise to be kind.

But then, just before the creature could follow up on its lewd, fiendish plot to steal her honor, its eyes then snapped upwards when it heard someone approaching, before a small, fast-moving shadow charged under it and tackled it in the torso. The force of the charging figure's impact not only threw the demon off of Mabui, but lifted him off the ground and carried him across the clearing at an insane speed.

When Mabui, Samui and the others looked to see what'd happened, they saw to their shock the beaten up Naruto hoisting the two ton animal above his head and pushing it across the clearing in a full-body tackle. His feet digging into the ground as his legs moved in a blur, the young child buried his face into the beast's abs as he forced it away from the Jonin.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Naruto roared at the top of his lungs, using all of his strength and willpower to carry the surprised lake monster over the clearing and towards the woods. The amount of strength he was now drawing on was so great that each of his footsteps was marked by a loud tremor, and the sleeves of his jacket exploded from his muscles expanding while being pressed against Suiro's belly.

Unable to grab the boy due to him being so small and underneath him, the stunned Suiro growled as he then attempted to slam its feet back into the floor. But due to the angle he was in and the way Naruto was holding him, with one arm around his waist while the other was hooked under his knee, the creature was unable to get a good foot position as its heels and feet struck the uneven terrain. _**"W-What the hell?! LET GO OF ME, YOU WORM!"**_ the hulking amphibian bellowed, seconds before its enormous body was rammed into the side of a tree standing at the edge of the clearing.

Digging his feet into the floor as he shoved the creature into the side of the trunk, which snapped and cracked under the force, a desperate Naruto then looked over his shoulder and screamed at the _Kumogakure_ team.

"OMOI! NOW!"

The instant he shouted, Suiro looked up to see the Genin Naruto had yelled for flying at him with his sword drawn. Eyes widening in alarm, the creature turned its attention fully to the airborne youngster, lashing out at him with a clawed hand in an attempt to catch it. The sharp-eyed Omoi however anticipated the attack and hiked off of the creature's clumsy swing, using it as a springboard to land against the tree trunk directly over it in a crouching position. It was at that very moment, while using his chakra to stick to the wood, the boy unleashed his attack on the creature standing directly beneath him.

" _ **Kumo-Ryū Uragiri!"**_ (Cloud-Style Reverse Beheading) He then struck in a backwards, crescent arc, his blade flashing through the air in a silver streak that successfully hit Suiro across the top of his head, right where his crown was situated. The act of which caused the animal to freeze in shock, as both the top of his skull and the headpiece holding it in place went flying off to the side.

Seconds after this event, and as the crown clattered to the floor and broke, the alarmed fish then smacked Naruto away in a panic and jumped away from the tree, where he landed near the edge of the village a few yards from the children. When the _Kumogakure_ team and their friends looked at the creature, they made one heck of a discovery.

In the space where a brain should've been sitting, Mabui and everybody else saw a hollow cup, with a small pool of water sitting in the confines of his skull. Though the creature quickly reached up to cover the area where the top portion of his cranium should've been, everyone had managed to get a good look at it, which quickly had everyone bewildered.

It was only when Tama saw the water-filled space for herself that the giant fox spoke up with a loud, frantic voice. _**"Naruto-kun! It's a Kappa!"**_ the giant, female fox barked, drawing her companion's and the rest of the Kumo team's attention to her. _**"It's a yokai of the lakes and rivers! A creature born from the tides and rifts of the earth. The pool of water suspended inside of its head is its life force! If you spill it, you can defeat it!"**_ She hadn't realized it earlier due to the fact that it was keeping its one identifying trait so perfectly hidden. But now that the veil was gone, she knew exactly what it was.

When everyone's attention snapped back to the giant walking fish monster, they saw Suiro staring back at them fearfully with its hand still clamped over the top of its head. As it took a step back, they saw a bit of the water in its skull trickle out and down his face, which suddenly caused its hulking mass to shrink slightly.

The moment they realized that it had been using the crown on its head as a temporary plug to keep the contents of its skull from spilling, victorious smiles quickly crossed the group's lips.

Naruto chuckled, rising up from his kneeling position and cracking his knuckles. "Oh… I'm going to enjoy this."

Seeing the boy and the rest of the _Kumogakure_ Genin stand up to approach him, the now panicking Suiro snarled and, crouching down, leapt into the sky. Naruto and the others watched him leap right across the clearing towards the lake behind them, in an effort to retreat back to the hole it'd come from. But just before it could make its descent to the shallows, a long, fluffy white tail suddenly shot upwards and caught the creature by the leg. When the water beast looked down, it saw Tama was back on her feet, and had whipped one of her five, long appendages forward to catch it.

As soon as she had him, the giant white fox gave a yell and dragged the Kappa out of the air, whipping him around the clearing before slamming his body down in the middle of their formation. His impact punched a sizable crater into the floor, while also spilling half a cup of its water from its head.

Seeing the liquid from its skull splash across the floor had Suiro's eyes widen, as his muscle mass once again shrunk. Whittling down to above half its original size, the beast gasped and scrambled to its feet. _**"N-No! NO!"**_ the monster gasped, spinning around when it heard footsteps rushing towards him. When it saw Karui and Omoi charging at him with swords drawn, the monster gave a loud roar while bringing its left hand up to clamp over its head. _**"I refuse to be beaten by a bunch of weakling children!"**_

The two sword-wielding Genin darted at the creature from two sides, lashing out at it with simultaneous swings of their swords. Using its large forearm to deflect and block the sharp blades, which carved several slashes into its scaly skin, the giant Kappa gave a hiss, drew its arm back, and desperately slammed it into the floor. The act of which caused a shockwave that split the ground and sent debris shooting outward in a blast of wind, causing Karui and Omoi to hastily back off. As soon as they did, Suiro was suddenly set upon by Naruto and Samui, both of whom ran up to it in tandem, with the latter darting forward to confront him.

With one hand still holding its head, the lake demon swung out at Samui with two strikes, only to watch the girl dart under him and slash him twice across the stomach. The blade cutting into his abs caused the demon to lurch forward and thrust a desperate kick at the kunoichi in an attempt to fend her off. When the blonde girl jumped back to dodge, Naruto leapt over her and flew at the beast, dropping down on him with an aerial spin kick.

His shin smashed across Suiro's face, sending blood and spit splattering across the floor, allowing the boy to drop to the floor and viciously assault the demon with repeated blows to the stomach. After managing several hits, Samui then jumped in and slashed the demon across the breast with a lightning coated blade. The tantō carved over the Kappa's chest and drew another splatter of blood, with the enormous fish giving a growl of frustration and fury.

" _ **ENOUGH!"**_ With a sudden burst of speed, Suiro darted forward, knocking aside a returning Karui and Omoi, and grabbing Samui by the throat. He then lifted the girl above the ground and brought her down to his face. Due to his sudden movement, the girl gave a strangled gasp of pain as she was easily throttled by the enraged monster, who then opened its mouth wide to tear a piece out of her. _**"DIE GIRL!"**_ He then moved to take her head off with one bite.

But just before he could do so, Naruto jumped at him in a yellow blur and nailed the angry Suiro in the cheek with a powerful, and blindingly fast right cross. _ **"Kūken: Senkōken!"**_ (Void Fist: Flash Fist) A loud crack rang out as he knocked another tooth out of the beast and sent its head snapping to the side. The punch also forced the creature to release Samui and stumble away in a daze, allowing the young kunoichi to drop into Naruto's arms as he landed in a crouching stance.

Sharing a smile with her and earning a grateful one in return, the delinquent set the girl to her feet and stood up, where he then watched the beast shrink down even more as he attempted to stop the water from spilling from his head. But try as he might, he just couldn't hold it in.

"Let's finish this prick!" Naruto shouted, sensing Mabui and the rest of her team rally towards him.

Panting heavily, the now smaller Kappa, who still stood half a body taller than an average male, gave one last growl and prepared to charge the two children in front of him down. But before he could even take a step forward, a torrent of blue fire suddenly surrounded him and enveloped his body like a length of thick, burning rope, which tightened instantly. When the flames dissipated seconds later, they revealed a still transformed Tama had wrapped her tails and body around the creature's hulking mass, whereupon she then sunk her jaws into its thick shoulder. A wail of pain left Suiro's mouth as he felt the fox's teeth sink into his flesh, at the same time his body was weighed down by the kitsune's hold.

"NOW!" Mabui shouted, charging past Naruto in a blur and ramming into the beast's exposed stomach with her shoulder.

The heavy blow from the Jonin knocked Suiro stumbling backwards, allowing Mabui to press her advantage. With his footing gone, the keen-eyed Samui went in low and swept its legs out from under it, causing it to trip and fall onto its back. As the monster flailed and writhed under the struggling Jonin and kitsune to break free, Naruto, Karui and Omoi jumped into the mix, with the former dropping down onto its collar, wrapping his hand around its throat, and slamming it into the ground with a loud 'thump'.

The entire team from _Kumogakure_ ended up dogpiling right on top of the squirming Suiro, with Mabui keeping it pinned by sitting on its chest, Karui and Omoi tying its hands down, and Samui jumping on its legs to stop it from kicking. The giant white kitsune in the meantime kept her body and tails wrapped around it from behind, and as the beast proceeded to writhe and snap out at them with its sharp jaws, Naruto, his hand locked underneath Suiro's chin, brought his free hand back and punched down on it from above with a string of brutal hooks.

"STAY… THE FUCK… _**DOWN**_!" the delinquent shouted between the loud crunches of his punches, his knuckles sinking into the monster's flesh on every swing and rattling its head.

Their efforts were a success. After only a few punches, Naruto had managed to empty the entire contents of Suiro's skull, spilling all of his water across the floor. When the last drop fell from its cup, the giant demon stopped moving and went rigid, allowing all of the people on top of it to get off safely. As soon as Tama unwrapped her body and rolled out from under the hulking Kappa to stand beside it, she and all the other wounded ninja watched as the creature proceeded to twitch, convulse, shrink, and shrivel up.

In a matter of moments, the stricken Suiro's muscle mass began to vanish, and it was well on its way to withering down to the size of a child. Its face also started to lose fat, with its previously smooth human features being replaced by the wrinkles of an old turtle.

Watching the twitching demon decrease and thin in front of them had Naruto smirk. "That takes care of you."

Rubbing her cracked ribs, the wounded and exhausted Karui grunted in agreement, before proceeding to watch the rather odd performance now going on in front of them. "Well… this is by far the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"I think it's fair to say it's the weirdest thing _all of us_ have ever seen," Omoi remarked, earning nods from every single person there. Now that their death-defying battle was over and done with, they were now all left with the question as to what to do with the slowly shriveling remains of their opponent.

Her tails waving behind her as she stared down at the defeated Kappa, Tama then glanced across at Naruto and the others. _**"Ask it a question."**_ When she saw the group turn to her, the giant white fox clarified for them. _**"Aside from possessing a keen intellect, the Kappa is also incredibly clairvoyant. Since you've beaten it, it**_ _must_ _ **answer your questions. Anything you want. But hurry… before it completely shrivels up."**_

Glancing around at each other momentarily, the team of unlikely heroes quickly stared down at the twitching creature to see its hollow, yellow eyes gazing back up at them. Being put in the spotlight, each member of the squad didn't really know what to ask the lake monster or what they wanted to know. Having taken on this mission under the assumption it was just going to be a regular B-Rank job, they never really expected to be given the opportunity to have any and all questions they had about life and the mysteries of the universe answered. Hell, as far as philosophy went, all of them were in a pretty generous place right now.

However, after a moment of careful consideration, all of them quickly came up with some inquiries that'd been troubling them for some time.

Unfortunately, their definition of 'depth' and 'significance' was kind of lacking in this moment.

"What's the square root of thirty six?" Omoi asked, wanting to test whether the demon's abilities were true or not.

"From what year was the _Second Sun State Rebellion_ fought?" Mabui followed up.

"What's the name of the process of cell division that leads to the formation of gametes?" Samui asked curiously.

"What is the exact mass of the Earth in kilograms?" Naruto asked.

"Who quoted 'I even cough alone'?" Mabui said inquisitively while tilting her head.

"Is the boyband _Two Directions_ destined for failure?" Karui inquired.

"Was that girl I met at the academy, Shinko, really into me?" Omoi spoke while scratching his chin hopefully.

"What will my cup-size be in the future?" Samui inquired.

"Oh yeah. What will _my_ cup-size be?" Karui also put forward.

"Is the Jonin Captain from the second division, C, gay?" Mabui inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"How do I get rid of salt from ramen broth if I've added too much?" Naruto finished while crossing his arms.

For a moment the withering Suiro said nothing. However, after a few moments of waiting, the group was then rewarded with the answers to each of their questions in the exact order that they'd been asked.

" _ **The square root of 36 is 6,"**_ Suiro said, his eyes glancing at Omoi before switching to Mabui. _ **"The war with the Second Sun state lasted from May 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **1,025 A.S to April 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **1,032 A.S, with the first kingdom emerging victorious."**_ His gaze turned to Samui. _ **"The process name for cell division in that instant is called meiosis."**_ Then he snapped to Naruto. _**"The exact mass of the Earth is 5.97237 times 10 to the power of 24 kilograms."**_ His vacant eyes shifted back to Mabui. _ **"The author of that quote is Ozaki Hosai; philosopher and story writer from the southern prefectures of the Land of Fire."**_ His attention shifted to Karui. _**"The boybad Two Directions will win 'Best Original Song' for their hit single 'Love Me Deeply' in two years and the band will break up in five when lead singer Tatsuo discovers the drummer sleeping with his girlfriend."**_ Then he went back to Omoi. _**"Yes; that girl Shinko was into you."**_ Then his attention went to Samui. _**"Your cup size will be I-Cup standard."**_ Then his eyes flickered to Karui. _**"Your cup size will be C-Cup."**_ His eyes quickly cut back to Mabui. _**"The man named C in the Kumogakure forces is gay."**_ After which his gaze returned to Naruto. _**"Chop a potato up and mix it in with the broth to absorb the salt. I also recommend leek for a more accentuated flavor."**_

After staring down at the creature for several moments following his chain of enlightening responses, it took a little while for the group to fully process what Suiro had just told them. About a minute later, their brains eventually clicked back into reality.

"Fascinating. It really does have a keen level of foresight," Mabui murmured while rubbing her chin, at the same time feeling a tad bit disappointed at finding out that one of her main dating prospects from home was batting for the other team. _"Damn."_

"Hmm," Omoi mumbled to himself while also looking to the side thoughtfully. "I wonder if Shinko still wants to go out on a date." He made a mental note to go see her the next time he had a free period.

While Naruto contemplated the information he was given, much to his amusement and astonishment, the two girls standing beside him were having completely different reactions.

"WHAT?!" Karui cried out as she glared hatefully down at the twitching Kappa. "I-Cu-… how the hell does _she_ manage to get a bigger cup-size than I do?!"

Omoi raised an eyebrow at the fuming redhead, as he found her rather loud volume to be quite disruptive. "Come on, Karui. The important thing is that-"

He was cut off when the girl wheeled around and barked at him furiously. "WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT?! THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH!" Karui's screams were enough to force Omoi to slowly shrink into the ground, leaning back when the girl was practically on top of him.

Completely ignoring her friend's reaction and chewing out of her teammate in favor of her own pleasant discovery, Samui looked down at her chest and placed her hands over the armored vest strapped around her waist. She then smiled in a cheerful manner. "Cool."

A tick mark forming in her hair, the battered redhead then leant over the slowly withering fish monster and shook her fist at it. "OI! YOU'RE NOT MESSING WITH ME, ARE YOU? HOW CAN I GET MY CHEST BIGGER THAN A C-CUP?!"

The shriveling Suiro shuddered for a moment, shrinking down a bit more to the size of a large dog as it spoke. _**"No. I am not messing with you. If you want to get your chest bigger; drink lots of milk, eat a rich diet, and do regular chest massages,"**_ the large fish answered without hesitation.

Karui stopped for a moment as she then stared at the fading lake monster, "Oh. Okay."

Breathing a sigh, Mabui then stepped forward and nudged Karui back. "Enough with this silliness. If we're going to be asking this thing any questions, they are going to be life-altering ones that will determine the course of the future. We will never get another opportunity like this… not unless we want to fight and beat it again." Clearing her throat, the beaten-up, slightly singed woman fixed a stern glare upon the shrinking demon and, meditating on what she wanted to ask it, took a deep breath.

From the way the Jonin acted, the Genin team and Naruto immediately had reason to suspect that whatever Mabui wanted to query about was incredibly important. Thoughts immediately turned to the children's respective villages, and whether or not she was going to ask the demon for secrets on potential enemies, information on high-standing political figures, state secrets, or the meaning of life itself. All of these were glaring possibilities, something they all expected her to ask about.

However, when an embarrassed shade of red crossed the kunoichi's cheeks, all hopes of a serious inquisition were dashed when Mabui spoke, her voice breaking midsentence. "W-Will I eventually find a cute boyfriend who I'll later marry?"

The children standing behind her literally face-faltered in perfect sync, almost falling over as they then gaped at the woman as if she were serious. Even Tama nearly face-planted the ground, but managed to remain seated while staring across at the woman.

Omoi raised an eyebrow. _"That's Mabui-sensei's super important question?"_

" _She wouldn't be single right now if she was a little less violent and didn't scare away every guy that approached her,"_ Karui also thought, having remembered seeing how the woman acted in public and interacted with men. They may have come to her because she looked incredibly attractive, but when she started talking with them, they all ran away.

As funny as it was, it still made the girls feel bad for her.

After waiting patiently for a moment, Mabui then heard Suiro speak. _**"In four years' time, you will meet the one, who will give you a family, love you with all his heart, and make you happy. As of right now however, he has not yet come of age,"**_ the Kappa spoke cryptically.

This did not really sit too well with the white haired woman, who stared down at the demon for a moment before gritting her teeth. "What the hell does that mean?" Mabui then leant down, grabbed the sides of its turtle shell, and shook it violently. "COME ON! STOP TALKING IN RIDDLES! AT LEAST TELL ME HIS NA-" She was then interrupted by Naruto stepping forward and patting her arm, prompting her to look at the boy heatedly.

"Hey. It's alright. Don't listen to this walking fish cake. I'm sure things will work out just fine for you," the delinquent informed, staring up at the Jonin as she looked back at him. The young traveler then grinned kindly through the bruises and cuts on his face. "You're a smart, strong, respectable, gorgeous, and incredibly openhearted person. There are plenty of guys out there in the world looking for a woman like you. You just have to be patient."

Hearing the boy's sincerity and taking in his reassuring smile for all it was worth, Mabui felt herself cheer up somewhat. She then breathed a sigh of resignation and stepped away, allowing the Kappa to continue twitching where it lay. "I guess I'm fine with that." She then crossed her arms and glared down at the frozen, talking turtle of a demon as he slowly withered in size once more. "So… what should we do with this thing? Put it out of its misery?"

" _ **You can't kill it,"**_ Tama spoke, drawing the group's attention to the giant white fox as she sat there, sporting her own bruises as she looked down at the defeated demon. _**"As the most ancient of demons, its form is constantly fixed to this world... born from the earth itself. All you can do is rob it of its life force and it will wither away into a husk-like, hibernation state. The result of which is unbreakable."**_

"Oh. Well that's neat," Omoi remarked, reaching up to massage his bruised jaw. He wished he had skin that durable when he slept.

"Okay. If that's the case, then what _do_ we do with it?" Karui asked, still appearing relatively irritable following the day's painful events. "We can't very well just leave it out here and let it get wet. Otherwise it'll attack the village again."

"Hmm… and I don't want to risk bringing it back to _Kumogakure_ either. With its strength, there's no telling what it can do if we allow it into our village's territory," Mabui murmured, also at a loss as to what they should do with the creature.

As the Jonin and her team continued trying to think up a possible solution to this conundrum, the barely alive Kappa, still capable of coherent speech and understanding, looked between them briefly before focusing his gaze on Naruto. After staring at the boy for several seconds, and taking in his air and appearance, the now puppy sized Suiro spoke in its signature deep voice. _**"You… runt."**_ Seeing the delinquent and the group turn to him, the thinning water demon continued. _**"Your ties to this world- past, present, and future- are stronger than any other being I've ever encountered. Time and space have moved with your presense... and I sense you have a big part to play in the events and battles to come."**_

Blinking in confusion, Naruto then spoke. "Huh? What events? What's coming?" This was news to him. Heck, he hadn't even asked this thing another question and the Kappa was just speaking on its own.

" _ **A great darkness is looming over the horizon… one that will spread to every corner of the land and mark the end of the era of shinobi,"**_ Suiro informed, his eyes setting on the group in front of him. When he saw that all of them were listening with open ears, the miniscule beast murmured uneasily. _**"I have seen ages rise and fall like castles in the sand… but nothing like the future I have just witnessed. There is a figure… shrouded in fire and smoke, with hair as red as blood and eyes blazing like two yellow suns, who wishes to tear down the foundations of this world… and create a new dynasty of Gods and Demons; an endless cycle of war and industry that will last for a thousand years. All that is and ever has been for the last epoch will burn in the coming fire… and all life on this planet shall perish."**_

Looking over at Naruto and sharing a look with him, Samui then turned to the creature with a frown. "Who is this person? What's their name?"

" _ **The new God of War… the one who will call themselves 'The Great Unifier' and the leader of the new world… Oda Nobunaga."**_

Pausing for a moment, the group standing around the defeated Kappa glanced around at one another. When they saw that no one knew the name or had any idea who this person was, sharing shrugs and head shakes left and right, they then looked back at the talking amphibian seriously.

"Never heard of him," Mabui said. Of all the political and military figures in the world, this was someone she did not know.

She hated not knowing. It always meant trouble was just around the corner.

" _ **You will soon…** that **I can promise you,"**_ Suiro said, his body shrinking down once more. With a harsh tremble, the hardening creature turned to Naruto once again. _**"This human will surely destroy everything on this planet, from the smallest plant to the mightiest ocean. That is something I cannot allow. As one of the six people who defeated me… it would be a great honor and a privilege to join you, Naruto, on your journey of discovery."**_

Naruto's eyes widened, as did those of the kids around him. "Wait… seriously? You're asking me to take you in?" After the ass-kicking he gave them, you could understand his immediate confusion.

" _ **Yes. My moral code compels me to serve the ones who defeated me… in this case, you and your compatriots. As such, following such a long and trying ordeal, I'm choosing you to be my sole master and caretaker,"**_ Suiro stated, curling up even more as he stared at the delinquent. _**"I assure you, this is no trick. Accept me as your loyal servant… and I shall do your bidding to the end of days."**_

Not knowing what to say, Naruto then looked across at the members of the _Kumogakure_ contingent. Seeing that they were all staring at him, Mabui included, he then turned to his fox companion Tama for advise and counsel. The moment his gaze met hers, the delinquent saw the kitsune nod her head once, at the same time wave her tails behind her calmly. Reassured by her vote and the expectant stares of the others allowed the blond to turn back to the now tiny Kappa lying at their feet, and smirk at it.

"Alright. I accept," Naruto said, but then raised a finger and pointed at the little beast. "But, if I sense even one thing slightly out of place, I'm going to bury you in the Land of Wind's desert and leave you to rot. Understand?"

" _ **Of course."**_ Suiro chuckled when he heard the blonde's words. _**"You know what… I think I'm going to like hanging out with you, runt."**_ The Kappa then grinned broadly, his arms and legs curling up as his now thin, boney, shriveled up body sunk into its turtle-shell cradle. _**"Till next time."**_ With one last chortle, the demon's body shrunk to the size of a small stone, froze, and sat before the group like a glorified talisman.

After staring at the now petrified Kappa rock, Naruto cautiously reached down and, after prodding it with his finger, picked it up. He then looked at it for a moment, studying its frozen face and cheeky smile, which prompted the boy to shake it. "Hello?" Hearing nothing and seeing no signs of life, the blond shrugged and turned back to the Kumo Genin. "I guess that's settled… then?" The blond stopped when he saw all of them take a cautious step back, as all four members of the group were staring at the thing in his hand rather nervously. "What?"

Samui, mustering a small smile, glanced back up at the delinquent traveller. "N-Nothing. Just… whatever you do... don't get that thing wet."

Sensing her concern, Naruto then formed his signature grin and responded with a nod. "Oh. Yeah. No sweat." On that note, the boy checked his hands for any signs of nervous sweating, before hurriedly brushing them against his jacket.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hope you guys liked this installment, and the reveal of events to follow and where I'm taking this story. :)

* * *

 **Power Scaling:**

Tier 9 - **Dragon Gods** – The beings included in this list are the pinnacle of all beings across creation. The dragons featured here are the ones featured most prominently in mythology, either associated with great events involving either natural phenomena or the destruction or creation of whole worlds. The dragons encompassing this list include: _Shenlong_ (Spirit Dragon - Chinese), _Tianlong_ (Celestial Dragon - Chinese), _Gong Gong_ (Cosmic Dragon – Chinese), _Bakunawa_ (Philippines), _Fafnir_ (Germanic), _Nidhogg_ (Norse), _Jormungandr_ (Norse), _Hétfejű Sárkán_ (The Dragon of Seven Heads – Hungarian), etc.

Tier 8 – **Titans** – Beings of gargantuan size, either spanning multiple planets or even the planets themselves. These beings have shaped the cosmos by becoming the cosmos itself, and have worked in conjunction with the Dragon Gods and the Gods to bring about stability to creation. The beings included here are _Kronos_ , _Gaia_ , _Hyperion, Theia_ (Greek), Jotunn, Ymir, Hodo (Norse), etc.

Tier 7 – **Major** **Gods/Demons/Dragons** – Beings who originated after the founders of the multiverse, blessed with divine powers and enormous strength, and are capable of ending entire worlds and civilizations, or creating them. The list encompassing these creatures are vast, and include multiple beings from Greek, Norse, Japanese, Aztec, Germanic, Scandinavian, Indian, Hindu, and other mythologies. _Gods_ include Thor, Baldur, Odin (Norse), Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite (Greek), Izanami, Izanagi, Ame (Japanese), etc. _Demons_ include Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, Kappa, Oni, Tengu, Bakanekos (Japanese), Asuras, Devas, Yakshas (Hindu), Daemons (Greek), Drekavac (Slavic) etc. And _Dragons_ include Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Four Dragon Kings (Chinese), Drakon (Scandinavian), Python (Greek), etc.

Tier 6 – **Demi-Gods/Meta-Humans** – Beings who are either half God, regarded as false Gods, or beings possessing such strength and legend that they are almost comparable to Gods. Though some may be as strong as the genuine articles, they don't possess the same advantages that the above tiers possess. But this doesn't mean their powers are to be taken lightly. Several beings in this list can include Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Yue Fei (Chinese), Okita, Musashi (Japanese), Hercules, Achilles, Perseus (Greek), Karna, Arjuna (Indian), Attila the Hun (Mongolian), Fuma Kotaro (Japanese), Roland (France), Alexander the Great (Greek), Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Amazons, Valkyrie, etc.

Tier 5 – **Extra-Terrestrials/High Monsters/Lesser Demons** – Creatures who are said to have influenced human society and technological advancement across multiple ages, from the Mayans, to the Ancient Egyptians, to Ancient Europa and Asie. While the Gods have had their fair share of influencing humanity, these beings have also scowered the multiple universes of the cosmos, pursuing either knowledge, information, or power. They are also capable of reaping their own levels of destruction and have even created beings composed of different forms of energy, as well as sharing their genes with other races. Beings included in this list are the _**Otsutsuki main and branch families**_ , Hagoromo, Hamura, and the _Biju_ that they created, smaller level demons with supernatural powers, including ghosts, kaiju, magical creatures, vampires. And also the _**Roswell Aliens**_ like the ones featured in the forgettable film _Indiana Jones 4_ , because I care about quality science fiction.

Tier 4 – **Advanced Humans** – Humans who have pushed the boundaries and gained incredible strength through hard work and natural growth, utilizing the energies surrounding them or within them. Many of these in the Naruto world have attained high ranks in their society, either in office or in the line of duty. These include all of the Kage, Madara, Hashirama, the three Legendary Sannin, most jinchuriki, Hanzo, Mikoto, Kushina, and many other people across the world etc.

Tier 3 – **Semi-Advanced Humans** – Coming closer to normal levels, these are people who have also gained incredible strength through hardwork, and encompass the ranks below those who have attained higher standing through strength and leadership. These include Jonin, Chunin, Genin, and officers in multiple militaries across the wider world of _Naruto: Maoyū_.

Tier 2 – **Humans/Animals** – From top of the food chain to the bottom of the food chain, ordinary humans have evolved with the ability to hunt, cultivate, and create societies spanning the entire globe through use of their own strength and ingenuity.

Tier 1 – lol. **Insects**. By this point the tier list has probably become a bit of a joke. Though insects aren't to be underestimated. They may be small, but they've lived in this world longer than you or I can even dream. This is a power scaling list after all.

* * *

Based on the mythology that has been thrown in so far, this tier list is quite accurate. Heroes in history defeating Gods, dragons and titans, they are monumental feats and recorded prominently throughout legends. The fact that Naruto has all of these kinds of people coming after him just shows how much stronger he's going to have to get or how much smarter he's going to have to fight in order to win or survive. So at this stage Naruto can barely do anything. But it's his adventures and struggles in this world that will prompt him to grow and develop. Baldur... he's just another challenge/obstacle.

And yeah, if you involve actual Gods in your story (I'm looking at Kishimoto), then you have to have some semblance of balance to it- ergo you include genuine ones or more of them. I don't include characters in my story unless there are ways to defeat them, unlike the original author who didn't know how to get rid of his Madara- which shows just how poorly Madara and by extension the Otsutsuki were designed. They're shit villains with no flaws. Well, I just came up with a hundred ways to get rid of them, and that's every single pantheon across Earth's history.

It's only logical. Considering the Otsutsuki are parasitic aliens (not Gods) because they come from a different planet, became myths, advanced humankind's evolution in secrecy, and steal energy from other worlds, their influence on earth history is very insignificant to what came before them.

* * *

 **Naruto's Fighting Style & Techniques:**

 _ **Void Fist**_ \- 空拳 (Kūken) – A fighting style developed and created by Naruto himself since the earliest days of his life. A cross between Muay Boran, Northern Praying Mantis and Tai Chi, this form of martial arts represents the sum total of all of the jinchuriki's experience and knowledge, forged into a series of swift, decisive, graceful, and brutal movements.

Tayuya describes his fighting style as 'leading enemies around by the nose, avoiding and absorbing their blows by redirecting them, before reflecting them back onto their owners with a force strong enough to crack through bedrock.' The true purpose of this style focuses on the practitioner using the momentum and force of the opponent against them, maximizing damage output while at the same time keeping a consistent flow of damage.

The true name of Naruto's form translates to 'Emptiness'. This is because his style lacks any true sense of foundation and origin, as it is a martial arts derived from multiple fighting styles, allowing Naruto to switch up techniques and moves to match an opponent's at a moment's notice. The form in itself is the essence of 'Freestyle', despite using moves greatly resembling multiple others.

Used in his base form, Naruto's fighting style is lethal, as he can use it to bring down multiple adversaries in a manner of seconds. But when combined with his chakra, it can be used to terrible, even destructive effects.

Through even more training in the year leading up to the final round of the Chunin Exams, Naruto is able to generate vacuums of extreme force capable of nullifying vibrations and warping space, allowing him to absorb and produce energy strong enough to break apart masses of various densities and consistencies.

Topped with his natural durability, and also being able to use his chakra to stimulate his muscles and nerve-endings, he can increase the output of his blows to an unfathomable degree.

 _ **Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) – Naruto's _signature technique_ , it is a knee strike that, when thrown, can generate enough force to shatter bedrock and crack through metal. The jinchuriki gave this attack its name due to the manner in which he uses it, either as a simple step-in blow or as a jump. Striking upwards at the head can concuss and even kill opponents, whereas a dropping blow to the body can disable an opponent, even knock them out cold with a single hit. He's also used is to break bone and puncture organs.

 _ **Kūken: Chiesa**_ (Void Fist: Chaser) – A roundhouse kick used primarily by Naruto, it's a vicious blow that, when built up with enough spin and momentum, can knock out or kill an opponent with a single strike. The force from the blow generates a crushing vacuum of wind that, when used correctly, can tear through both defenses and jutsu, without causing any harm to the user. It can also knock back people standing in the vicinity of the blow.

 _ **Kūken: Senkōken**_ (Void Fist: Flash Fist) – Is Naruto's signature punch. By delivering a right counter at a near untraceable speed from a blind spot, the jinchuriki is able to knock an opponent out cold with a single blow.

 _ **Bōjutsu: Soraki**_ (Stick Technique: Skyfall) – Naruto's signature staff move, by delivering a power enhanced swing, the delinquent is able to generate a force powerful enough to smash through defenses and take out targets with one blow. If he misses, the wind generated from the technique disturbs his surroundings, allowing him to hit a target even standing in close proximity of him.

After another year of training, when powered up by chakra, Naruto is able to use this attack to hit a much wider range, and even disturb the atmosphere.


	9. Kappa Arc - Old and New Habits

**Author's Note:** Hello all again, and glad to see you all for the next chapter for this story.

This installment marks the end of the Kappa Arc and the start of Naruto's graduation arc or what I would call the Academy Arc, which has the whole Mizuki play out. I've changed this one to give Naruto a new challenge to overcome, as well as a chance for maybe a couple more characters to come into the folds of this story.

Of course this fic ends with a quick look into the future to show where I'm taking this story.

The character that shows up at the end is one created by _**AlphaDelta1001**_ (my original account), as it was an original creation. The spinoff story is also based off of my own concept.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Once again I'm still double-checking this one for errors.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Old and New Habits_

(The very next day)

Following yesterday's hell of a battle in the lakeside town situated in the heart of a series of mountain ranges and forests, the morning turned out to be far brighter than everyone had been expecting. Maybe it was because the battle they'd fought had been so rough that it made the day afterwards seem far better by contrast. Or maybe it was because the world was deciding to reward the hard-fought, hard-won team with some rays of sunshine in return for all the pain they'd suffered. Either way, when the rays of light came beating down on the valley following a rather enjoyable and filling breakfast, the team from _Kumogakure_ and their vagrant tagalong welcomed the conditions gladly with smiles on their faces.

Gathering at the entrance to the half ruined _Karatsu Village_ , the Genin team from the hidden cloud, their Jonin sensei, and Naruto, along with his little fox companion, stood side-by-side facing the townspeople, all of whom had turned out to see them off. Each of them reflecting the scrapes and bruises from yesterday's scuffle in the form of multiple patches and bandages wrapped around their bodies, the ragtag group of youngsters were met with grins and well wishes from the people they had saved.

"Thank you so much for saving us all from that dreadful monster," the village leader Tenzen said with a bow, a gesture that was shared by several other people in the crowd. "We owe you five everything."

"Yes. Thank you," a middle-aged woman carrying a baby in the crowd spoke up.

"Thank you all so much," another fisherman added, tipping his straw hat in kind. "Everyone in this village is indebted to you."

"You guys are the best ninja ever," a young teenager inside the throng called.

"Yeah. You five are awesome."

"We wish you guys all the best."

Giving a light chuckle at the thanks and wishes of good fortune coming their way, Naruto slipped his hands into his pockets while his friend Tama sat looking proud on his left shoulder. "Ah, shucks. It was nothing, really." If this is what it felt like to be praised for a good, honest day of work, then he liked it.

He could've done without the bandages wrapped around his torso and the first aid patches slapped on his face though. These odd little pings and pangs kind of ruined the moment.

"The ninja of _Kumogakure_ are always happy to help those in need," Mabui informed on behalf of her team. "It was our pleasure."

It was then a confidently smiling yet bandaged up Karui beamed brightly. "If any of you guys are in the neighborhood and looking for a set of extra hands, don't hesitate to give us a call." She then gestured between herself and the rest of her squad. "Just ask for _Team Bee_. We're always on call and ready to work at your convenience."

An equally battered and mended Omoi chuckled as he glanced across at his teammate. "Way to sell us, Karui." He then lifted his hand and formed a fist, upon which he bumped knuckles with the equally enthusiastic girl.

Tenzen chuckled and nodded to the youngsters. "We'll keep that in mind." He then turned to the young traveler with the fox on his shoulder, where he quickly spied the petrified lake monster hanging from a string around his neck. "Are you sure you'll be okay taking that _thing_ back to your home town?"

Glancing down at the new charm hanging from his person, Naruto smiled. "Oh. Yeah. I'll be fine. I'm already used to hanging out with powerful mythological creatures anyway." A quick gesture to Tama hanging over his neck quickly confirmed this fact. "I'm sure I can handle one more in my life."

Samui crossed her arms as she looked at the young male traveler in the middle. "Don't tell me you're going to start collecting legendary beings and demons."

Naruto shrugged back at the girl with his signature grin. "Hey. Everyone's gotta have some kind of hobby."

After the group shared a round of laughs with the villagers, Tenzen concluded their business with the team by giving them all supplies for the road home, while also stating that it would be their honor to name a shrine in their little community after them. Though Mabui bashfully stated that wasn't necessary, the townspeople insisted, and continued to do so until the departing group eventually relented. Once that was all said and done, the squad bade the lake-side village farewell and hit the road, taking the main road out of town and onto the countryside's main highways. In a matter of minutes the six travelers were ascending the slopes of the outlying hills and away from the small settlement, which eventually disappeared into the distance.

For the next hour into that morning the group continued on walking, chatting animatedly with one another over how terrifying their battle had been, and how each of them had to become much better ninja if they wanted to avoid being utterly thrashed again. Though Mabui remained silent throughout most of this conversation, she not only agreed with them wholeheartedly, but was also able to hear all of the youngsters' aspirations and plans for the future, which put a proud smile on her face over how driven her temporary squad actually was. Eventually the entourage of injured ninja happened across a T-junction where, after seeing which sign pointed where on the intersection, knew that there time traveling together had come to an end.

Knowing that the _Kumogakure_ squad would be heading north back to the Land of Lightning, Naruto picked the road going right and stood facing the team for what he hoped wasn't their last time.

Shouldering up his duffle bag, the boy with the patch over his right eye and cheek, and his right arm and ribs wrapped in medical gauze, grinned at the team standing across from him. "Well… I suppose this is where we part ways," the whisker-marked boy chirped as Tama napped comfortably on his shoulder. "Thanks for letting me stick around."

Mabui, Omoi, Karui and Samui all smiled, with the Jonin being the first to answer the boy's words of sincerity and appreciation. "I hope this detour didn't put you out in any way."

"Nah. No way. The walk down here was great. I had loads of fun," Naruto laughed while waving at them, at the same time slipping his left hand into his jacket pocket, wincing as he did from his healing bones. "But… next time you're on a mission, be sure to warn people exactly where you're going before you take them there. Because unless they're _me_ , they probably won't enjoy the deviation as much. You know what I'm sayin'?"

The white haired woman giggled at the boy's cheeky question. "I'll remember that for next time."

Omoi, rolling his second lollipop for the day between his lips, smiled back at the gutsy delinquent. "It was great hanging out with you, man." He then raised a fist towards him in a sign of respect and farewell. "Be careful on your way home… and don't be a stranger. We expect you to drop us a letter sometime down the line."

Naruto returned the boy's gesture with a bump from his knuckles. "No problem. I've got your details, so I know where to find you."

Arms crossed, the normally hostile Karui cracked a smile and nodded to the kid when he turned to her. "You know what… for a delinquent and a vagrant, you're alright. Just… for your sake, don't go peeping on anymore girls in the hot baths, okay? That's just something you really don't want to make a habit out of."

"Heh. I'll do my best," Naruto replied, before then turning his attention to Samui, who stepped right up to him with a cool smile on her face and hands on her hips. Her presence prompted the boy to bow politely to her. "Crazy couple of days, huh?"

"Yeah. Crazy… but certainly not unwelcome," the blonde replied, looking into the boy's eyes searchingly for the longest of moments. Upon which she started speaking in a slightly more anxious tone. "You know… yesterday… after we defeated Suiro and asked him questions about our futures, I could've asked him so many other things… like where exactly am I going to end up in the next ten years or who I'll end up falling in love with. But I didn't." She then shrugged at him as their gazes met. "I guess I didn't want the pressure of knowing and taking that chance."

Naruto beamed in return, "Life is an adventure that's full of surprises, both good and bad. None of us really knows exactly where we're going or who we're going to become in the future. All I know is that if we play our cards right, we'll be able to make the best out of what the world has to offer." He then grinned happily at the female Genin. "Knowing what lies ahead and what's waiting for us around the corner just ruins the whole experience. That's probably another reason why you didn't ask that walking turtle any more than what you did."

"Or… maybe it's because I already know the answers to those questions," Samui replied, while simultaneously reaching up to tentatively brush some strands of hair behind her ear. "Of course… that last one all depends on whether or not _he_ feels the same way." When she saw the quizzical look the blond gave in response to her cryptic words, the girl then removed her hand from behind her hip and revealed a folded up note, which she promptly handed to Naruto.

Looking down at the piece of paper in confusion, Naruto reached forward and took it, before then glancing back up at the kunoichi. "So, what's th-" He was then effectively silenced when Samui suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips to his, catching him mid-sentence and causing his eyes to widen in alarm.

The warm, tender moment of contact lasted for only a few seconds, but when the blonde girl finally pulled away, both kids' cheeks were glowing red, with the Kumo Genin giving a quiet giggle as she ambled backwards with her hands behind her.

"I'll see you around, Naruto-kun," Samui said, before spinning around and walking back to her team, completely ignoring the surprised looks both Omoi and Karui were giving her. When she strolled past them, the rest of her squad followed suit, giving one last wave back to Naruto whom they could see was still standing frozen in place.

As the group started heading down their road from the valley intersection, the other members of Samui's team quickly fell in step with her, with the girl's two friends moving to walk on either side of the proud looking Genin.

"Well… that was a surprise," Omoi remarked with his hands in his pockets.

"No shit. I mean, _really_ , Samui?" Karui asked in bewilderment as she looked across at her teammate. " _That_ guy?"

"Of course. You got a problem with that?" the blonde asked without looking.

Scrunching her face up uncomfortably, the sword-wielding girl with bandages wrapped around her waist and left arm, sighed and glared ahead of her. "Now that I think about it… not really. Compared to most other guys we know, I suppose you could do a lot worse."

As the squad started to shrink further and further into the distance, Naruto was eventually snapped out of his trance by Tama leaning over to lick his cheek and yip in his ear. The act of which caused him to jump out of his daze and open the folded up note in his hand. When he looked down at it, he smiled when he saw the girl had written her address, postage details, and a little message just for him.

It read; ' _Stay in touch' – Samui_

She'd even included a pencil drawn love heart at the end of it. That was a nice little addition.

Giving a sweet chuckle at the penmanship and turning to Tama to see her smiling as well, the boy then looked up to watch the gang from _Kumogakure_ disappear over the hill.

"I'm so glad I went on this trip," Naruto said, slipping the note into his pocket as a cool wind whipped over the valley. The sensation of the grassland surrounding the highway and brushing against his face brought a bright smile to his lips.

His first outing, his first encounter with other shinobi, his first in-mission fight, his first liberation of a village, and his first romantic encounter…

Honestly… that was not a bad way to start a week.

XXX

(The next day)

(Evening)

Tayuya breathed a weary sigh as she walked down the dirt road towards her second story apartment home, carrying a plastic bag filled with shopping in each hand and listening to the flute music playing from her red headset. Despite having a good early morning training session and a productive day at school, the girl was feeling more downtrodden than usual due to the absence of one particular person in her life.

"It's been almost a week already and Naruto-kun still hasn't come home yet," the girl with pinkish-red hair spoke with a disgruntled tone of voice as her body automatically turned down another street, passing by random villagers along the way. With her apartment coming into sight, Tayuya looked up at it apprehensively. "He just took off without any word or warning. The least the idiot could've done was wait for me to wake up before he left."

And it wasn't just the frustration of waking up and finding her roommate had vanished either. While he was thoughtful enough to have left her a note informing her of where he was going and what he was going to do, in the next two days to follow the flute player quickly became concerned as to her friend's safety and wellbeing.

After all, the outside world was completely new turf for the blond haired troublemaker from the hidden leaf, and was something he'd never seen or experienced before. Not only were the surroundings and the terrain different, but so were the people and the roads leading through it. If Naruto was struggling to make a good reputation with the villagers in Konoha, how was he going to cope with the people outside of its walls? That thought alone was worrisome enough. And this wasn't even counting the crooks and bandits wandering about, many of whom require actual ninja teams to be dealt with.

Tayuya's expression then became even more miserable as she approached the front gates to her block.

"I sure hope nothing bad has happened to him."

It was all Indian Territory for the delinquent out there in the lands beyond the village's walls; filled with all sorts of pitfalls and peril. There was no telling what kind of trouble Naruto had gotten himself into over the last few days.

These woes continued to plague the young girl when she finally made it to her apartment. Expertly flicking her keys into her fingers, she then unlocked the door and stepped in, knowing full well that an empty, blondeless apartment waited for her. She then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw, sitting at their coffee table with Tama sleeping on a pillow beside him, a perfectly alive and well Naruto Uzumaki, with a tranquil smile on his face and his nose stuck in a book.

Having been working on his assignment since his return a few hours ago, the whisker-marked traveler, now dressed in a casual white shirt and orange shorts, looked over to his entrance when he heard the door open. When he spotted his roommate standing in the archway, clad in a black jock jacket with white trim, black spandex shorts, and a stunned visage gaping in his direction, Naruto's face quickly lit up. "Oh. Tay-chan! Welcome home. How was the academy today? Did you have-"

Before he could even finish his question Tayuya had already dropped her bags and sprinted right at him, which quickly ended in the girl tackling the surprised boy to the floor. With the delinquent on his back and the girl pressing down on his shoulders with her hands, the would-be 'jinchuriki' found himself under his roommate's fierce glare.

"T-Tayuya-chan?"

"You blond, fox-faced bastard!" the girl shouted, startling Tama from her sleep and causing the vixen to stare across at the two in alarm. "You said you would be back in a couple of days! Why the hell were you gone for so long?!"

Sensing the girl's ire through her expression and words, a startled Naruto then threw her a nervous look in an attempt to appeal to her good, reasonable side. "W-Well… on our way through the _Land of Hot Water_ , Tama and I got a little bit side-tracked."

Tayuya however ignored the boy's stuttered response in favor of a further tongue lashing. "Do you know how worried I was about you? Every day I kept thinking you'd wound up being attacked and dumped in some ditch out in the middle of nowhere… or worse! I mean, seriously! How can you be so reckless?" It was then as she was staring into the ruffian's nervous face, the girl suddenly noticed the scar in the corner of his left eyebrow, which she stared at before grabbing with her fingers. "Whoa. And what the hell happened to you here? Did some prick try to knife you or something?"

"It was a spear, actually," Naruto replied anxiously, feeling Tayuya recoil and look down at him in confusion. "The girl I was fighting sliced through the hat that I borrowed from some old lady, and came close to cutting my face in half. Good thing I have such quick reflexes, otherwise I would be a goner."

Feeling a sense of dread come over her, the redhead immediately pulled back, straddling the boy's lap as he propped himself up on his elbows. "What happened out there on the road? Where did you go?"

The delinquent grinned at his roommate. "It's a long story… but a good one. You wanna hear it?"

Tayuya frowned and barked in a typical, tomboyish manner, "Of course I do!"

A laugh left Naruto's lips. "Alright. Alright. Well, it all started after I left the apartment…"

From that point onwards the whisker-marked traveller proceeded to recount the entire course of his journey, from the day he snuck out of the hidden leaf to his eventual return trip home. No detail of his venture across the countryside was left out of his story, as he would gush excitedly about how amazing the countryside was and all the interesting people he met along the road. When he eventually told Tayuya about his encounter with the squad from _Kirigakure_ in the northern village and their spear-wielding teammate, he had to pause for a moment when his roommate became blown away by the reveal that the girl had actually been a member of the Uzumaki Clan.

He explained that she was perhaps the most difficult opponent he'd fought up to that point, as she was not only the first one to get him to work hard, but also the first person to leave a permanent scratch on him. What's more, the two of them had just been getting warmed up, which made both Naruto and Tayuya shiver at the thought of how strong she and her teammates actually were.

Eventually Naruto got into the real nitty gritty parts of the story, where he told his roommate about his arrival at _Genno Temple_ and then meeting Samui's team at the onsen hotel. He wisely glossed over the fact that he'd actually met the girl in the hot spring, as he knew telling Tayuya this would lead into some very bad things, so he told her he met the team in the lobby. This all then led to the detour to the lakeside village, where Naruto and his company met the king of all predators. Tayuya was literally cementing herself to the floor with fear and fever when the blond told her all about that battle, from their last minute saves to the power struggle between the demon and Mabui. He then showed her the petrified body of Suiro himself, which he'd fashioned to a rock bracelet and had wrapped around his wrist.

The little, petrified statue of the Kappa, which was no bigger than a key chain souvenier, dangled in front of Tayuya when the boy held his arm up in front of her. She could even see a tiny black seal painted on its turtle shell, which Naruto had put there as a way of summoning it should it be misplaced in any way.

"So… this is the little blighter that caused you guys so much trouble?"

"Oh yeah. He damn near ended up killing us too… even Tama-chan," Naruto chuckled as he also looked at the dark-green talisman hanging alongside the string of rock beads it was attached to. "If it wasn't for Omoi, I doubt any of us would still be standing right now."

Tayuya smiled as she leaned back on her hands in a laidback way. "Even so, I bet you weren't scared one bit, even against such a big, scary demon."

The blond shrugged as he dropped his arm to the floor. "I admit I was a little bit worried and intimidated a few times during that fight, but everything turned out well in the end thanks to good, old-fashioned teamwork. There was no way we would've been able to beat that monster if we didn't work together." And that was the truth, plain and simple.

Naruto knew he was strong. Stronger than most other kids his age, teenagers, and even some adults. But the fight with the Kappa monster had opened his eyes to a much bigger picture; that there were enemies and creatures out there that couldn't be beaten without help or support. Even though Suiro was a special case, it still gave the delinquent an experience that was worth taking away from, and allowed him to make better plans for the future.

Anyway, after telling Tayuya all the most epic and significant moments of that battle, the boy then went on to tell her about the premonitions and Suiro's ability to read the future when defeated in combat. Since the walking fish was currently out of commission, it was impossible for him to make an effective demonstration, but Tayuya believed him easily enough. He then told her about some man named Oda Nobunaga, asking his friend whether or not she'd heard of anyone like that, to which the redhead replied she hadn't. As far as either of them was concerned, this person was just a nobody now; probably someone who was incognito and staying out of the public's eye.

Once all the stress over the unidentified future enemy was taken under consideration, the story eventually led to them here. By the time Naruto was finished, Tama had fallen asleep again and Tayuya was emotionally reeling from the aftermath of the tale.

"Wow… just… _wow_ ," Tayuya breathed as she leant back on the floor, having cracked out the take-away she'd bought for both of them to share. Watching Naruto use the chopsticks in the bag to dig into the udon brought a warm smile to the redhead. "If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd be having a really hard time believing some of the shit you'd just told me. But… considering you're the most honest, straight-shooting, and unlucky bastard in the world, I can easily see something like this happening to you."

Naruto chuckled after slurping up the noodles he'd successfully grabbed. "Yeah. My bones are still aching from that ass-kicking I got at the start of the fight… especially after I was sent flying through those trees. Ugh. It was rough." Absently tapping the red pendant hanging around his neck, which he'd worn the entire trip and the way back in, the blonde youngster shrugged. "Even if that mission was a one in a thousand gig, it still makes me wonder how tough our actual assignments are going to be when we're finally put onto a squad." He then grinned as he handed the girl the chop sticks. "Think they'll be just as hard?"

"I doubt it. There's no way the village would send a new team of Genin out on a B-Rank mission to hunt down monsters and predators right out the gate. That's the kind of work that they give to the more seasoned squads," Tayuya replied, taking the utensils from the boy and the bowl of udon from the table, which she then proceeded to eat as well. Sitting across from one another, the pair really did look the part of a couple of best friends hanging out in their small, one-room apartment. "They'll probably just be sending us on a bunch of lame errands for the first few weeks, just like what Samui told you."

"Heh. True. But at least I'll know what to expect if we're suddenly hit by a higher-ranked mission," Naruto responded, resting his elbow on their central table and leaning over tiredly. "It was hard going there for a bit, but at least my trip up north was a success and I managed to come back in one piece. Now I'm ready to get back into something normal for a change… like training and studying. Did I miss out on anything while I was gone?"

"Nah. Not much. Just a whole bunch of revision material and busy work from school. I'll give you the practice sheets I saved so you can take a look at them later." It was then Tayuya stopped from shoveling more noodles into her mouth and perked up. "Oh yeah. That reminds me. Iruka-sensei said he wanted to talk to you about something when you're back in class."

"Really? Did he say what it was about?"

"No. But from the way he spoke to me a couple days ago, it must be pretty important, so I suggest you be there tomorrow."

Naruto smiled in response, "Yeah. No sweat. I'll be there."

After that the two friends and roommates went back to eating, upon which they moved on to finishing their assignments. Studying to the point of mental fatigue for the next couple of hours, the pair then hit the hay.

XXX

(The next day)

The morning set of lessons at the academy came and went at a surprisingly brisk pace, as the teacher had taken the opportinity to re-explain to his students the mechanics of proper hiding techniques for shinobi out on the field. Upon clarifying that this topic and the details of it would be in the final exam, Iruka then dismissed his students for recess, allowing them all to take off while he stayed behind to sort out his paperwork.

As the majority of the room filed into the corridor through the two respective entrances, Naruto hopped out of his seat and, with Tama resting on his shoulder, made his way down to the front of the class. Hands in his white jacket pockets, the blond with the blue scarf wrapped around his neck stopped in front of the Chunin's desk and waited patiently for the man to acknowledge his presence.

Iruka looked up when he saw a shadow fall over his workspace and spotted his formerly wayward student. "Oh. Naruto. How's your cold? Feeling better?"

The would-be jinchuriki nodded with a million-ryo smile. "Yeah. It came as a bit of a shock to me when I woke up with a fever a few days ago, since it's been a long time since I was last sick. But I'm all better now." He then allowed his expression to become serious. "You wanted to see me about something, sensei?"

"Yes. Yes, I did," the Chunin replied, clearing his throat and straightening up. When he placed his hands on his hips, he looked down at the boy with a small smile. "The Genin exams are coming up on us fast... something that I know you're all looking forward to. Are you and Tayuya up for them?"

A smirk graced Naruto's lips as Tama listened intently to their conversation. "I'm feeling pretty confident, dattebayo." He then lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist. "I'm in top form for my taijutsu and shurikenjutsu, I've got a good handle on the replacement and henge techniques, and I'm up to date on all the theory." He then dropped his arm and allowed it to sit at his side. "So yeah. I'm not worried."

Iruka then raised an eyebrow curiously. "How about the _Bunshin no Jutsu_? What's your progress on that?"

It was then the boy's smile dropped and he looked down at the floor in frustration. "Honestly… it's not great." Naruto glanced back up at his teacher, who he noted was giving him his full and undivided attention. "No matter how much I practice it, I can't produce a proper, working clone. Every form I produce always turns out pale and shriveled up, or just explodes on me the moment it appears." He then reached up and scratched his head worriedly. "Seriously… I have no idea what's going on. If I can't create a working clone on the field, then how can I..."

Sensing the child's concerns over his final results if he is unable to produce a working copy during the testing period, Iruka then gave the boy a reassuring look and crossed his arms. "I'm guessing it has something to do with your chakra. Since you've got so much of it coursing through your body, it's impossible for you to produce a fully functioning _Bunshin_ , due to the fact that you can't get the amount needed for it right. It's like trying to squeeze a single drop of water out of an entire ocean." When he saw the boy slump forward in dread, the Chunin smiled softly and continued. "However… considering your grades in all the other areas, I'm going to disregard that aspect of the assessment and allow you to graduate without having to take the Bunshin exam."

Naruto's head then snapped up with a start. "Wait… are you serious?" When he saw Iruka's grin, the boy's smile widened. "You're not messing with me? You'll... you'll let me graduate, sensei?"

"Of course I will," the scar-faced man chuckled. "I've allowed other young prospects in the past to graduate without passing all of their exams. The most recent one was Rock Lee, and that boy could only use taijutsu and shurikenjutsu. You're already excelling in so many other aspects of your development that you've more than secured a passing grade from this group, with distinction. You, Tayuya, Sasuke and Hinata are the top four students in this year's batch, so to let them move forward and not you would be incredibly unfair of me." When he saw a wide grin of sheer delight spread across Naruto's lips as his hands clenched in triumph, Iruka concluded his overview with an admission of faith. "I'm placing all my bets on you becoming a great ninja one day, Naruto. So don't let this opportunity go to waste."

"I won't, sensei. I won't. You can count on it," Naruto chuckled, turning to his kitsune companion sitting on his shoulder and giving the fox a laugh. "You hear that, Tama-chan? We're going to become Genin!" The white mammal responded by giving a loud bark of excitement.

Giving a laugh at the pair's interaction, Iruka then waved his hand at the boy. "Now get out of here, you little ruffian. I've still got some work to finish up here, so you go and enjoy your recess." Returning the blonde's thumbs-up with his own, the Chunin then watched the kid dash towards the door, only to then call out to him. "By the way, Naruto. How did you get that scar over your left eye?"

Stopping and looking back at the man for a moment, Naruto then remembered the cut over his eyebrow and reached up to rub it with his fingers. "I… hit my head hard on our table when I woke up about three days ago. Gave myself one hell of a headache."

"Ah. I see," Iruka nodded in understanding, as he was well aware of the boy's living conditions. "Try not to roll around so much in your sleep next time."

Giving a light-hearted snicker, the boy then ran the rest of the way out of the room, doing a little skip on the way through the door. Iruka actually had to spare a small headshake when he heard the youngster's cheerful 'whoop' echo down the corridor, before turning back to the papers on his desk.

" _The world is going to be in for one hell of a surprise,"_ the classroom teacher thought to himself in amusement.

Unbeknownst to the Chunin and a couple other kids still in the class, they completely missed the shadow of an intently observing Mizuki lurking outside the room's exits. Hands in his pockets and an unpleasant aura wafting around him, the pale-haired teacher in the shinobi uniform frowned deeply before, with a huff of frustration, he turned and headed down the hallway on his own.

OOO

(A few minutes later)

Out in the courts where the academy's teachers conducted their outdoor lessons with their classes, the students from the uppermost year levels scattered across the area were enjoying a filling, and somewhat relaxing recess. Having taken up their usual spots in the area as per the usual routine; Kiba tending to a boisterous Akamaru out in the open, Shikamaru and Choji chatting with each other nearby, Sasuke having a drink from a juice bottle by the academy wall while a group of girls were ogling him, and Hinata leaning against the fence with her hands in her pockets, things seemed pretty ordinary.

That was until a commotion nearby had everyone stop their current activities and turn their attention to the middle of the yard, where they suddenly saw two of the students scuffling with one another in the open. However, this wasn't so much as a playground brawl as it was a playful training session between two close friends, as everyone in the area quickly saw that it was Naruto and Tayuya sparring with each other across the dirt.

Trading shots with their partner, the red haired girl attempted to get the drop on her roommate with a swift roundhouse kick, only to have him check it and retaliate with a casual palm strike. Reacting in alarm to the swiftly thrown blow, Tayuya crossed her arms over and took the blow, which landed with a heavy thump and sent her skidding across the floor. Grinding to a stop, the flute player looked up with a smirk, where she saw Naruto smiling casually back at her.

"Damn. You're pretty fired up all of a sudden, spiky," Tayuya said teasingly, ignoring the stinging sensation in her forearm from taking such a heavy blow. Even though she was nearly trying her best while also working up a sweat in the process, she knew Naruto wasn't even trying. This much was obvious from the way he was casually standing there with his hands held forward in a laidback stance. He even still had his training weights on. "Did something good happen to you in class?"

The blond chuckled as he ignored the looks they were getting from the other students around them. "You can say that."

"Well… are you gonna let me in on your little secret?" the redhead asked pryingly.

Naruto wagged his eyebrows at her, "Sure. But you're going to have to beat me first."

A frown then appeared on Tayuya's face as she glared back at him. "That's flippin' impossible. There's no way I can beat you in hand-to-hand. You kick my ass constantly!"

"So I guess… you _don't_ want to find out what I know," the blond replied teasingly. When he saw Tayuya stiffen up and her eye twitch, the young delinquent then shrugged and looked away coyly. "Okay. That's fine. But just a heads up… it's really _goo~od_."

Gritting her teeth, Tayuya then unclasped her holster and pulled out her flute, twirling it about with her fingers and setting herself into a new stance. "Okay you smug bastard," the girl said with a competitive grin. "You asked for it, bucko!" She then sprinted forward with a roar, intent on giving the boy a clobbering.

As the pair continued to play-spar as they normally did, the rest of the kids standing around them slowly returned to what they were doing. Although, while guys like Shikamaru and Choji went back to chatting with one another, Sasuke continued to watch the duo fight, Ino quietly awed at the way Naruto masterfully evaded Tayuya's attacks, and a nearby brooding Hinata couldn't help but observe the delinquent's activity with an admiring gaze.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

While this little friendly contest was going on down in the academy's quad, up in the Hokage Tower portion of the administration area, Hiruzen Sarutobi was presently sitting in his big office chair, with his fingers crossed in front of him and a warm smile on his face as he watched the scene taking place in his crystal bal. His eyes fixed upon the activity being played out in front of him and, as Naruto and Tayuya attempted to tag one another in their duel, couldn't help but chuckle at how happy they both looked.

"It looks like things are going to be okay from now on," Hiruzen whispered to himself, at the same time reaching into his pocket and drawing his pipe.

Over the years the old man had made it a habit to check in on the village to make sure things were alright and business was running smoothly, particularly with individual villagers. However, aside from the farmers, the orphans, the shinobi, and shop owners, the one individual he always made sure to check up on every couple of weeks was Naruto. Seeing as how the boy had spent much of his life alone and struggling for acceptance, the elder always maintained an open time slot for the youngster to not only observe him, but also to give him counsel should he ever feel the need to come visit him. After all, every child needed someone to look out for them and help them.

But, considering how well he was doing in school and looking at the way he interacted with his classmates, particularly Tayuya, Sasuke and a few other people, Hiruzen was confident the boy would be alright. The more relationships he formed, the better his circumstances would become, as well as his chances and future.

Assured that the boy was alright, Hiruzen deactivated his crystal ball. A few moments later there was a knock on the door, prompting the elder to look up.

"Enter," the Hokage spoke, watching the entrance swing open and a male Chunin step in. "Yes?"

The young man with brown hair bowed to the village leader. "Hokage-sama. Mikoto Uchiha is here to see you, as requested."

Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgement and waved to him. "Of course. Send her in." Pushing several of the scrolls on his desk aside, the old man then rose out of his chair and stood with his hands behind his back. As soon as he did, he saw the Chunin step aside and make room for the head of the Uchiha Clan.

Dressed in her kunoichi uniform, consisting of a black skintight suit, red obi around her waist, green Konoha vest, and forehead protector fastened securely around her head, the raven haired mother Mikoto stepped into the office. Thanking the Chunin and watching him close the door behind her, the woman then stopped in the middle of the oval room and stood at attention, as she now found herself under the firm, unflinching gaze of the village's leader.

"Mikoto-chan. Good to see you," Hiruzen spoke with a smile.

"It's good to see you too, sir," Mikoto responded with a nod of her own, before her expression became serious once more. "You sent a message asking for me?"

"Yes. Yes. Of course," the Hokage replied, clearing his throat as he began walking out from behind his desk, with the kunoichi watching him closely as he did. "I wanted to speak to you regarding a very important political matter… something that I have not yet brought up with the village council or with the daimyo. In truth… I actually wanted you to be the first one to hear this."

"What is it? Another S-Rank mission?" Mikoto asked, appearing and sounding both curious as to where the most powerful Kage in the land was taking this conversation. She suspected it could be any number of things. But seeing as how he went through all the trouble of calling her up to the tower to speak with her, she figured it had to be something top secret.

A small smile tugged at Hiruzen's lips as he focused his attention on the wall across from him, which had the four pictures of the past Hokage lined up side-by-side. "It is and it isn't," he answered, causing a more puzzled look to fall upon the woman's face. "While it is not an official mission that would be given to _any_ shinobi, it is one that is of great significance… one that has the potential to shape the future of our village and pave the way for many more generations to follow. This assignment will require a hundred percent of your dedication and commitment, where you will be forced to make great decisions, while also sacrificing a little bit of yourself for the sake of the people."

Mikoto, feeling a nervous tension building in her chest, took a deep breath of preparation. "It sounds serious."

"It is. And I wouldn't think of giving the responsibilities of a task such as this to anyone except you," Hiruzen informed, turning around and fixing his eyes outside the window. It was then he raised a hand and gestured to the woman behind him. "Come here. I want to show you something, Mikoto."

Too wrapped up to deny the man's request, the raven haired Jonin marched forward and stood beside the Hokage. When she did, she found herself gazing across the full expanse of the village. From vanishing point to vanishing point, she saw the entirety of the Hidden Leaf spread out before her, from the forests to the east to the farm lands to the west, with the denser suburbs focused entirely in the center. As she admired the view, she also saw the clouds in the clear blue sky drifting overhead, and heard the telltale signs of birds singing outside.

For the next minute or so she stood there with the Hokage, who at first said nothing. But once that moment of clarity and admiration had passed, Hiruzen once again chose to speak.

"This village has gone through many great trials since it was first established by Hashirama and Madara all those years ago. The people have braved wars, famine, storms, strife, and a great many other calamities and losses too painful to comprehend." Sensing the woman's eyes on him, the elder paused for a moment to let the information sink in, before speaking with his head held high. "But in its time, the leaf has also seen its fair share of good times… such as the formation of friendships, alliances, and partnerships with nations we initially deemed as enemies, the development of technology, medicine, trade, infrastructure and economics, an increase in quality of life, and many more historical events that have forever shaped our community and its people for the better. I have watched these moments and experienced them firsthand more times than I can count, and through it all I've seen our people endure the calm and harsh weathers of the decades, and emerge from them even stronger than before. It is because of all this that I have come to realize that with every generation that passes, the next one will emerge even stronger than the one before, whether it's physically or mentally. They learn from the mistakes of the old… and prepare themselves for the changes to follow," Hiruzen stated.

There was another long breadth of silence where neither of them said anything, with Mikoto doing her best to take in everything the village leader was saying to her. As she turned her eyes back to the village and processed the words spoken to her by the wise leader, the pause was broken a second time by Hiruzen following through on his topic.

"I feel that times are changing once again… and that the next generation is going to face its greatest test yet," the Hokage said, his voice not wavering or breaking for even a moment. "And like every generation, it needs a strong leader to help see it through to the next; someone that the people look up to, know and trust. And someone that has already endured so much, and can use their collective experiences and strength to inspire others to follow them." It was the moment he said this that something in Mikoto finally clicked, and the woman's eyes snapped towards Hiruzen in shock. "You've spent these last few years rebuilding your clan from the ground up following the incident with Itachi, as well as forging a strong relationship between the Uchiha and the people of _Konohagakure_. The villagers had already regarded you as a strong kunoichi and a potential leader; someone who is compassionate, caring, responsible, and well-versed in the ways of the world. Even now you are continuing to prove yourself to be a reliable, adept, and steadfast individual. Furthermore, not only were you close friends with the Fourth Hokage, Minato, but you were also one of the few shinobi who fought and stopped _The Wind Demon_ , Fuma Kotaro. That last merit alone has more than solidified your worthiness for the position."

Mikoto blinked in amazement, as she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "You… want me… to become the next Hokage?"

The old man nodded, at the same time turning to face her completely. "My time for retirement is long overdue. I plan on stepping down very soon. But before I do, I would like to leave knowing that the village and its people are in safe, capable hands." He then lowered his head candidly to the kunoichi. "Originally I considered Fugaku to be the next Hokage, back when Minato was still around… and even prior to the attack on the Uchiha Clan I was still lobbying for his advancement to the seat. The only reason I didn't consider you for the position was because you declined from running in favor of raising your family, and I respected that decision." Hiruzen then beamed. "But now that Sasuke is about to become a Genin and your clan has once again joined with the village, I believe you are now ready to make that final step forward."

Stepping back a bit, the raven haired Jonin took a few deep breaths, as she weighed the elder's words on her mind. "I… I don't… I'm not…"

Hiruzen, watching the woman settle down and catch her breath, then slowly moved towards her. "Mikoto… you share the same views and virtues that Minato and Kushina once shared, as well as their unwavering sense of duty, responsibility, and fairness. The Fourth had a great deal of faith in you and your abilities, and knew he could trust you above everyone else." He then raised a hand and placed it on the woman's shoulder, prompting the kunoichi to look up at him. "If you take up the seat of Hokage, you will not only be carrying on their hopes and dreams, but the hopes of everyone else. Honor their memory by doing what they could not, and protect the village in their place." The Third then nodded to her reassuringly when he saw her gaze meet his. "I know you will do great."

Not saying anything for a moment, Mikoto watched the Hokage step away and place his hands behind her, waiting for her to make her decision. Seeing her thoughts flicker through her eyes for several seconds, Hiruzen didn't have to wait long for her answer, which came with a smile and a nod.

"I'll do it," Mikoto said, raising her head high as she did. "I accept your offer for the position of village leader."

Acknowledging her response, the Hokage stepped back. "I will inform the council and the daimyo of your decision this afternoon. Though I believe the council will initially protest, I'm a hundred percent positive that the feudal lord will approve and support my decision." He then reached a hand out and placed it atop of his desk where the paperwork was. "I'm planning on stepping down from the seat one month from today. On the same date that the Genin graduation is set to take place. I think it would be fitting that you be there to attend the ceremony and christen the new group, as your first official act as the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure."

Mikoto, feeling her chest swell, bowed her head in acceptance. "It would be an honor, sir."

OOO

(That afternoon)

(Hundreds of miles away)

On the edge of what is considered _Kusagakure_ territory, situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, there sat a large, old stone castle situated atop a steep cliff. Overlooking a large inlet filled with raging whirlpools on one side and an open field of grassy valleys on the other, the structure sat as a beacon beneath the dark, cloud sky. At this time of day the sun had started to set, making the cloudy, dreary atmosphere surrounding the land look all the more depressing.

However, while a majority of the countryside was empty and devoid of activity, there was plenty of it going on at _**Hozuki Castle**_. It was there, situated by the main command building, a large blimp, with an armored hull, large propeller engines, and an insignia with a big 'G' painted on the side, had been tied down above the main courtyard. It was from this large dirigible cruiser, which was as long as the castle's estate was wide, a ramp had been deployed, which was now being guarded by a group of soldiers dressed in black uniforms that had red epaulettes on their shoulders, steel helmets, and armed with bolt-action rifles.

They were a stark contrast to the castle guards, the latter of whom were men wearing green, buttoned up uniforms, silver helmets, and were armed with more primitive single-shot breach-loading rifles. However, despite this gap in technology, this didn't stop both sides from glaring one another down, as the vessel parked above the castle was somewhat of an unwelcome guest to the scene.

An air transport hovering over a large fortress prison in the middle of nowhere? You bet there was going to be some tension floating between the two.

The reason why this vessel was here came in the form of two VIPs, whom were currently inside the main structure of the stone castle and being escorted through the property by a couple of prison guards, two soldiers from the airship, and a pale, tall, stiff of an individual with long black hair, and wearing a red officer's uniform and black cape. From just one look you could tell that this particular individual was the warden of the castle, as his rank and insignia were clearly displayed proudly on his top.

The first VIP was a man of short stature with scraggly brown hair and a thin mustache, dressed in a black and white, incredibly expensive suit, and a pair of round sunglasses. Marching with his hands behind his back, to short man was also accompanied by a tall, incredibly attractive young woman with long blue hair tied into a topknot with a single bang hanging over a fair face, covered by a pair of thin reading glasses, and was dressed in a blue suit and short-skirt.

Admiring the prison cells that they passed along their way through wooden halls of this part of the structure, the short man chuckled as he looked up at the tall man escorting them. "I see that you've beefed up the security around the place since the last time I was here, Mui-san. Did something 'fun' happen around here recently?"

The man in the officer's uniform looked down at the man without a change in his expression. "Not really. Just a couple of new prisoners from _Kirigakure_ who thought it was a good idea to start a riot and break out. Unfortunately for them their little bloody midnight bash didn't last for very long, as they were all reduced to ash a few minutes after they broke out of their pens." Mui then turned his attention back to the path ahead and the set of stairs they were approaching. "I've put a few more guards on rotation to make sure that the others don't get the same idea and go rogue."

"Harsh," the short man chuckled, his glasses flashing with amusement as the group turned onto the stairs and began descending further into the main structure. "But, if you plan on keeping a bunch of rowdy ex-shinobi criminals under control, examples need to be made and boundaries need to be set. So it makes sense to resort to those kinds of punishments. I can certainly respect that." As they left the ground level of that part of the prison, they then entered another part of the castle, which took them straight down a wide tunnel with only a few lanterns and doors marking their path. "By the way, that last order of prisoners you loaned out to me for my highway project last season were fantastic. They lasted much longer on the line than the previous group of men I bought from the _Land of Wind's_ institute."

"Well… criminals from _Iwagakure_ tend to be a lot tougher than your ordinary highway robbers and scumbags. They are much harder to be broken in, but deliver a far more honest day of work afterwards," Mui responded as he continued leading his visitors down the corridor. Passing a couple of guards who saluted the warden, the well-dressed chief than glanced down at the magnate. "I have a new shipment of lowlifes that have just came in from both _Suna_ and _Kiri_ if you're interested, Gato-san. They're over in Block D."

"That sounds like fun. Is this batch strong?" the magnate replied eagerly.

"Strong enough to be classified as C-Rank targets by their respective villages," Mui answered calmly with his hands behind his back.

This assessment had Gato shrug. " _Free_ labor is better than _no_ labor, I suppose. But I certainly do love variety in my shopping trips. It makes outings like this a whole lot more fun." He then glanced behind him at the woman following close behind them, whom he saw swing out her writing pad. "Start writing out the payment to Mui-san in full, my dear… with an additional ten percent from the last check as a token of good faith to my warden friend. I'd like to make this transaction between us as smooth and as quick as possible, after we inspect the merchandise."

The young woman behind the entrepreneur nodded, her glasses flashing as she started scribbling over the paperwork in her grip. "I'll start crunching the numbers now, sir."

Eyeing the female as she scanned the papers, Mui then glanced down at the smirking Gato calmly. "Obedient and efficient. She certainly knows the way things work around you."

"She's my daughter, so you can expect that she knows this kind of routine like the back of her hand," the billionaire business owner exclaimed, while once again regarding the warden with the same disposition he gave every other valuable client. "I'm grooming her to take over my company sometime in the distant future, which is why I have her on assignment with me today. This visit is just another part of her training."

"Well… I hope that this tour proves to be a very enlightening excursion for her," Mui responded, once again giving the female a glance before turning back to the corridor.

After walking for a few more doors with the group's respective guards flanking them, Gato suddenly had his attention pulled towards a large iron door down a small junction of the concrete corridor. Seeing the large gate a few yards into the area was lit by two large lanterns, the man could distinctly make out a figure through the overlapping bars on the other side. This instantly peeked his curiosity and, stopping from his walk for a moment along with his female company, took a step towards it.

"Ooh. What about this one?" the man in glasses asked with interest, catching Mui's attention and forcing the warden to a stop. Gato continued to amble towards the bars heedlessly, as there weren't any guards standing by it. "This looks more like a cage for a wild animal than an ordinary prisoner. How much are you willing to sell _this_ beast?"

Mui's eyes widened when he saw the man getting closer to the cell and reeled forward, "Stop! Now!" When he saw Gato halt and look over his shoulder, the warden marched forward and ushered the man back, before then pointing at the ground. "Mind the yellow line."

Looking down, Gato then saw the yellow line painted into the floor with red seals drawn into it, forcing him to take a cautious step away. By the time he looked back up, he was joined by both his secretary and the guards escorting them. "What's this one's story?"

Frowning, the warden then turned to glare at the massive iron bars a few feet in front of them and the darkness of the room that lay within. "This is a custom-made, solitary confinement cell, designed to keep the most powerful and dangerous criminal in the entire Elemental Nations under lock and key. After four riots, multiple escape attempts, constant flaunting of prison authority, and various other cases of assault, larceny, and disruption of the system, I had no choice but to move her down here for permanent keep." Mui's eyes narrowed when he began recalling the information on this case. " _The Wind Demon_ … otherwise known as the _Demon of the Windmill Blade_ and _T_ _he Untraceable Shadow_ ; Fuma Kotaro."

Gato recoiled as he stared at the black, depressing, battered looking cell. "Wait… Kotaro… I think I've heard that name before."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Mui mumbled as he kept his eyes fixed on the cell. "This woman was brought into my custody years ago by a squad sent from Konoha, as every other prison system across the continent refused to take her in out of fear. That's how troublesome a person she actually is. Before she was captured, this woman was responsible for inciting a potential Shinobi World War and starting an international conflict that would later become known as the _Kotaro Crisis._ This was a full year before the start of the _Third Great Shinobi War_. During this period, the kunoichi and her gang assaulted the Land of Fire's capital, attacked two hidden villages, destroyed an entire portion of the northern mountains, and led all the shinobi villages on a cat-and-mouse chase across multiple borders. It was chaos."

The business owner whistled as a smirk crossed his lips. "Now that's one badass babe. How did they manage to get her?"

"From what I heard… she turned herself in willingly," Mui replied, earning a strange look from Gato as the officer proceeded to elaborate. "The events leading up to her 'capture' are quite baffling to comprehend. Not only did she defeat four whole battalions of shinobi and two jinchuriki sent after her from Kumo, Suna, Kiri and Iwa without killing a single one of them, she also fought Minato Namikaze, Hanzo of the Salamander, Jiraiya of the Sannin, Mikoto Uchiha, the bounty hunter Kakuzu and the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi… and won." The warden then looked down at the man beside him seriously. "To put things into perspective, that's six Kage level shinobi defeated at once. The battle itself destroyed an entire cluster of islands and wiped a peninsula off the face of the map… an area which is now called the _Demon's Crossing_ in the North Sea. The entire battle could be seen and felt for hundreds of miles in all directions."

Narrowing his eyes, a now nervous looking Gato stared back at Mui. "How are you able to keep such a demon under control? And in _this_ cell?" From the way Mui was describing her, this woman was capable of laying waste to entire countries.

"With great care and difficulty," Mui stated darkly, not tearing his eyes away from the cell for a moment. "In the past, Fuma Kotaro was notorious for being able to break in and out of the most heavily guarded fortresses and installations in the world… wherever and whenever she pleased. That being said, I'm guessing the only reason she hasn't broken out of here yet is because she's staying of her own volition." Pausing for a moment, the warden turned to look down at Gato very firmly. "Compared to shinobi like Hashirama Senju, who was historically assessed as being 'incredibly remarkable', Fuma Kotaro was assessed as 'incandescent… an era-defining monster beyond Madara.' When we tried running psychological tests on her to assess her mental capabilities, two of my psychiatrists were sent to a mental institute from talking with her for only three minutes, and five of my guards were inadvertently 'reprogrammed' and used by Kotaro to help start her riots. That's why we laid down this yellow marker, because anyone who gets within three meters of her cell becomes instantly compromised."

"And… why exactly haven't you killed this woman yet?" Gato asked, taking another step away from the yellow line for good measure.

"We've tried… many times before. But not only did she shrug off my _**Katon: Tenro**_ (Fire Release: Heavenly Prison) technique, she's also survived and resisted multiple drugging attempts, death by firing squad, and every other method of execution you can possibly imagine. So we just stopped trying and moved her down here instead," Mui said, at the same time gesturing into her cell.

When Gato and his secretary got a closer look into the dark of the chamber behind the iron bars, they saw that the pale, silver haired person shrouded in darkness was not only wearing just a pair of white panties and a flimsy halter top, but was also cuffed by chains fixed to her wrists, feet and waist, all of which were nailed down to the floor at a single point. This meant that she could only move around the confines of her cell to just a few inches from the bars and walls, with only the floor and a bucket to keep her company.

Needless to say, it was a pretty miserable place to be. She didn't even have a pillow.

Watching the person sitting in the center of the pen, Gato and the others soon became aware of a soft melody coming from the cell. Opening their ears more, the troop gathered behind the yellow line quickly identified the noise as humming, which then slowly transformed into a series of lyrics stringed together moments later. Upon listening in, the words being added to the song transformed the haunting tune into something far more foreboding.

" _ **What once was truth shall be no more,"**_

" _ **For the age of man is at death's door,"**_

" _ **A war for peace and unity shall end,"**_

" _ **In land soaked in iron, blood, fire and friend,"**_

" _ **Death comes to those who join this final arc,"**_

" _ **In a song that echoes through time and past,"**_

" _ **For one man wishes for a love long spark,"**_

" _ **And another longs for a world that's glassed,"**_

" _ **But in it other players shall arise,"**_

" _ **To see the end for human, beast and lies,"**_

" _ **The false goddess and child with heaven's eyes,"**_

" _ **The true goddess of the moon, earth and skies,"**_

" _ **From distant parts of the earth they'll come,"**_

" _ **Shadow, God, biju, demon, everyone,"**_

" _ **Yet all will fall to the mightiest foe,"**_

" _ **A figure of blood, fire, death's shadow,"**_

" _ **The earth will still and the heavens will crack,"**_

" _ **Under the heel of this devil's attack,"**_

" _ **For you though your destined one I see clear,"**_

" _ **The Demon King of blond, whiskers and cheer,"**_

" _ **For he will save earth from the evil one,"**_

" _ **And give you the future the stars have spun."**_

Hearing the woman sing this poem to them from the darkened cell had everyone staring, until Gato leaned over and whispered to Mui nervously.

"What the hell does all of that mean?"

The prison warden shrugged, "It's just a song she's been babbling for the last several years, over and over again. No one knows what the hell it's supposed to be." Adjusting the hem of his cape, the dark haired man then turned and gestured down the corridor they'd been following. "So… would you like to check out those prisoners now?"

Gato, pushing his glasses up his nose, nodded with a smile. "Sure. Lead on." Following Mui as he started down the hallway once more, the short business owner then stopped when he noticed that his daughter and secretary was still staring at Fuma Kotaro's dark, concrete and iron prison. Appearing puzzled, the magnate spoke, "What's wrong, Ryoda-chan?"

Expression remaining neutral, the woman with dark blue hair kept her eyes fixed on the fortified pen. "You go on ahead, oto-san. I want to check this person out for a little bit longer."

Glancing between her and the cell a couple more times, Gato then scrunched his brow curiously. "You want to keep observing her... the mad woman?" When he saw Ryoda nod, the man then gestured in understanding. "Very well. Just don't take too long. We've got a schedule to keep." He then proceeded to follow Mui down the corridor with one of his guards, leaving one behind to stand guard over his daughter.

Waiting for both Gato and Mui to disappear down the hall, Ryoda remained where she was, staring hard across at the cell. As a silence and cold continued to grip the isolated chamber, and Kotaro's haunting melody continued to reverberate off of the walls on a loop, the secretary then completely disregarded the yellow line drawn across the floor, and approached the cell's metal gates.

Her bodyguard standing behind her didn't even bother to protest as he watched the woman cross the threshold.

Stopping just a foot from them, Ryoda was able to get a much better look inside the chamber. Seeing the prisoner in question sitting cross-legged on the floor, head slumped forward, hair concealing her face, and hands cupped in front of her in meditation, nothing happened for the first few seconds. But then, hearing the rattling of chains join the woman's singing, the secretary watched the prisoner stand up and stagger over to her.

When the person reached the bars of the cell, they suddenly slammed their face between the rods, bringing her hands up and gripping the metal tightly. This ended with the silver haired, dirty, yet gorgeous woman with golden eyes trapped in the room staring right into the face of Ryoda, who stood calmly in place just a foot from her.

Breathing heavily, Kotaro took a whiff through her nose, before a wide, lecherous grin spread across her lips. "Mmm… you smell just like cherry blossoms in a warm spring…" Pressing her cheek up against the bar, she then proceeded to stroke it with her hand in a seductive manner, all the while her eyes narrowed lewdly. "Did Mui-san and his boys leave you here for me? That's awfully nice of them. Though I admit, is has been a while since the last time I messed around with another woman." She then ran her tongue over her top lip hungrily. "It'll be a tight fit, but if we do this right, I know we can have a lot of fun. Get a little rough with each other… maybe even act out a dirty prison guard and inmate scene. If you just turn that hot ass of yours this way, I can-"

"You can drop the fake, crazy prisoner act now. I know a poorly made mask when I see one," Ryoda spoke in a firm, mature and commanding voice, causing Kotaro to stop and stare at her for a moment. Upon which the secretary then raised her head, causing her glasses to flash seriously. "Fuma Kotaro… I heard a great deal about you and your exploits while I was serving in the military overseas. Your actions really shook the world up something fierce."

Her own expression reflecting seriousness for a moment, the grungy looking kunoichi prisoner then smirked. "What can I say? I like to leave a big impression on people."

"I can tell," the daughter of Gato spoke. Reaching up to push her glasses back, the golden eyed female then faced her silver-haired compatriot and spoke with a smile. " _Gato International_ could really use someone of your _unique_ skillset and talents… something that my father fails to see. If it isn't too much trouble, I have a little business proposition for you."

Tilting her head curiously to match the angle of her sly negotiator, the dangerous rogue thief smirk. "I'm listening."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

If you want to find out more about Fuma Kotaro's history, check out my spinoff series, _**Naruto: Ronin – The Wind Demon**_.

Hope you guys enjoyed this.


	10. Graduation Arc - Step Up

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Step Up_

(A month later)

The sun creeping over the horizon marked the beginning of yet another promising day and, as the rays of warm light stretched its fingers across the building riddled setting of _Konohagakure_ , the people in the shinobi town started to rise to meet the dawn's early hours. However, outside of the greater suburban and housing areas making up the majority of the village, within one of the many reserves in the outlying districts, two particular youngsters had already been up and active for quite some time. Even when store owners and villagers scheduled for early hour work were still in the process of getting ready, this pair of go-getters were just wrapping up their business.

The sound of beautiful flute music filled the forest as, sitting underneath their maple tree beside their bamboo grove, a readily dressed Tayuya was sitting cross-legged and playing her signature instrument. Amidst the fall of orange leaves, her sweet melody brought a sense of tranquility and calm to the atmosphere, as her eyes remained closed and her fingers danced elegantly along her silver pipe.

She wasn't alone in this wood either. Sitting beside her with her paws folded and listening to her play, tail swishing about behind her, the little white vixen Tama was staring across the clearing, watching the other half of the duo finishing his training session. Wearing a white hooded jacket with blue trim and flames along the bottom edge, with a blue shirt, orange pants, red pendant hanging from his neck, which hung under the blue scarf given to him as a present four years ago, a pair of airplane goggles framed across his head, and handmade bracelet with a petrified Suiro wrapped around his wrist, Naruto was presently sitting cross-legged beside the bamboo woods, meditating with his fingers pressed together in a diamond shape and eyes closed.

As Tayuya's peaceful melody filled the air, the boy remained fixed where he was, feeling the breeze drifting through the woods gently brush against his hair and skin. It was during this time the wind seemed to pick up around him, stirring up the grass and the leaves lying on the floor. As the loose foliage proceeded to float and swirl around him, an invisible force suddenly lifted the boy off the ground, bringing his body a couple feet into the air and keeping him there. And still Naruto's eyes remained closed and his face perfectly calm.

Looking at him from a distance, it was quite clear that it was the wind swirling around him that was levitating his body off of the ground and keeping him suspended, which created a cushion of air beneath him and formed into a spinning sphere of condensed force. This formation of wind spun and twisted for a full minute.

Once that moment had passed, the air then gently lowered the blond delinquent back to the floor, at the exact same time Tayuya finished up her musical piece.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Naruto opened his eyes and smiled across at his friend. "Ready?"

The redhead, wearing a maroon, oversized, unbuttoned, hooded varsity jacket with a white 'T' sewn into the left breast, white bandage top, black spandex shorts, black sandal boots, and red headset hanging around her neck, lowered her flute to her lap and looked across at her roommate. Upon which a grin formed on her lips.

"Yeah."

Gathering up their equipment, the two best friends and their fox companion headed out of the woods and back into the village. From there they proceeded to walk along at a comfortable pace, taking in the sights of the many buildings around them waking to greet the day ahead. As people started to trickle onto the roads, the pair of delinquent ninjas in training made their way to the administration side of town, which was sitting right at the base of the _Hokage Monument_.

By the time they arrived on the very road leading them to the academy, the sun had already risen from behind the hills to light up the entire neighborhood. From the feel of its warmth on the back of their heads, Naruto and Tayuya knew right away that this was going to be a very good day.

It was a fact that was made even more apparent when the would-be jinchuriki spotted a very familiar person waiting at the front gates to the school ahead of them. Leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back, wearing a pink martial arts top with gold buttons, green pants, and her long brown hair done up into two ox horn buns, was none other than Tenten. Sporting her own _Konoha_ headband framed proudly across her brow, the girl looked up when she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching her. When she spotted Naruto and Tayuya ambling up the road, the girl grinned.

"Sup, Goldie?" Tenten chirped affectionately to the village's most famous street fighter when she saw him move towards her with his flat mate.

The blonde she was referring to grinned broadly with his hands in his pockets and Tama sitting comfortably across his shoulder, the latter of whom was obviously pleased to see the brunette. "What up, Stardust?" Stopping beside Tenten, whom he saw step away from the wall, Naruto nodded at her. "You here to wish us luck?"

"You bet," the kunoichi replied heartily and without hesitation. "Since today is such a big day for the village, I figured I would drop by before the coronation ceremony and give you guys an extra kick in the ass." Tenten then lifted her fist towards the boy, while Tayuya stood by quietly and watching with a smirk. "I know you two are gonna kill it in there."

Naruto's eyes shone as he returned Tenten's gesture with his own, rapping his knuckles against hers in a show of gratitude. "Look out for us when we're up on top of the tower with the new Hokage."

Tenten snickered, "I will." Lowering her arm, she then turned her attention to Tayuya, whom she also nodded to. "Do your best."

"Yeah. No sweat," Tayuya responded with a thumbs-up.

Once their words of well wishes and encouragement had been exchanged, Naruto and Tayuya headed straight onto the property, braced up and ready for anything. It was while they were leaving the gate under the watchful eye of Tenten, the redheaded flute player turned to her companion and elbowed him in the side. The sudden gesture had the blonde jolt over and grip his ribs in surprise.

"Whoa. What? What's going on?"

The redhead merely smirked and stared ahead of her. "Nothing, Mr. Irresistible Deviant."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking completely confused while Tama barked cheekily from his shoulder.

OOO

(Over the next few hours)

As it turns out, Naruto and Tayuya weren't the first students to arrive at the classroom before their specified meeting time. Sasuke, Hinata, and a couple other children had already rocked up and were in the process of waiting for their colleagues to arrive, and in theor own respective ways. Some were brooding, some were resting, while a couple more were doing some last-minute cramming before they had to undertake their written exams. Though this was similar to how the delinquent roommates approached their morning, the way Naruto and Tayuya went about it was the same ritual they'd been following since day one. So unlike a select few, they weren't stressing over the upcoming trials at all.

The same composure could be seen on Sasuke and Hinata's faces, as both of them had assigned themselves to their corresponding corners with their arms crossed and eyes closed. You could tell that they were extremely composed.

Anyway, after a little while of waiting by the desk with the Uchiha prodigy, whom Naruto and Tayuya casually chatted with, the rest of the students finally showed up, followed by Iruka. From that point they were then assigned different seats randomly throughout the class and made to wait as the teacher went about laying out the exam papers for the literary portion of the exam. Once the timer had been set and all the documents had been given out, the Chunin started the clock and all the students dove into their test sheets with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Having only an hour to get all of their working out and answers written down, the kids had a lot of areas and topics to cover, ranging from problem solving to field math. Due to the teachers throwing the kids a few curve ball questions into the mix, a lot of the students could be seen sweating in their seats as they attempted to grind out the answers. However, there were a few exceptions to this rule.

By the twenty minute mark, and true to his usual form, Shikamaru had fallen asleep, causing the students around him to shoot odd glances in his direction and an observing Iruka to shake his head. When the thirty minute mark had come and gone, most of the bookish members in the class were already well past halfway, whereas both Sakura and Tayuya had already finished and were waiting for the others to finish. Being the most standout members in the field, the two young girls then proceeded to watch Hinata and Sasuke finish several minutes later, while Naruto completed his checking with only eight minutes to spare. When the timer went a little while later, it was pencils down.

After Iruka had finished collecting the kids' test sheets, he then let them have a quick recess break before moving them outside for the start of the practical tests. The yard had been cleared to make way for the students undertaking the exams, with both Class A and Class B being assembled on the dirt field. When both rooms had been assembled, it didn't escape anyone's notice that they had drawn a small audience to the proceedings, as a lot of the people in the surrounding neighborhood had turned out to watch this year's graduating group perform in the lead-up to the Hokage's inauguration ceremony.

Ignoring the kids and adults forming outside the fences, the Chunin teachers Iruka, Mizuki, and Daikoku arranged all of the students together to begin going through the practical courses. This consisted of an obstacle run through the equipment set up around the yard; a route that was outfitted with barriers, tight ropes, and targets the kids were expected to hit with shuriken while on the move. They all earned points on the time they completed the run and the number of targets hit.

This portion of the exam began in earnest, as the students put all of their years of training and practice to the test. One after the other the kids ran the course, lapping the entire yard and weaving through the obstacles under the careful watch of their instructors and their audience. The entire run only took a maximum of two minutes to complete, and by the time the last student made it over the finish line, another hour or so had passed.

Immediately after finishing his run, Naruto waltzed over to Tayuya and Sasuke, both of whom he gave a 'V' sign. "Crushed it." A happy yip from Tama firmed up his statement.

"Oh yeah?" the flute player responded with a grin. "You think you got the better time out of all of us?"

"Well… I'm pretty pleased with myself." The blond placed his hands on his hips, "What did you guys get?"

Sasuke, hands in his pockets, grunted at the boy, "One minute, sixteen point four seconds."

The redhead groaned and snapped her fingers. "Damn it. One minute, seventeen point two." She then noticed the smirk on the Uchiha's lips, which had her glare back at him. "Oh, don't act so smug, you chicken-headed prick. You only beat me by an eighth of a second." It was then Tayuya noticed the cocky smile on Naruto's face, which had her frown deeply. "And what are _you_ so happy about?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just surprised, is all," Naruto replied while brushing his nails against his jacket. "You guys got such really good times. There's no way a talentless hack like me could possibly beat those." He then inhaled before suddenly fake-sneezing into his hand. *cough* "One minute nine." *sniff* Grinning at the stunned looks that appeared on his friends' faces, the blond then looked around coyly. "Man. My hay fever is really bad today."

Tayuya then glowered at the boy, her expression matching Sasuke's in disappointment. "Smart ass."

"Keep smiling. Because I'm going to breeze past you in the next test," the Uchiha declared while giving the delinquent a competitive glare.

Sasuke's remark earned a snicker from the fox-faced kid. "Oh yeah. I'd like to see you try, teme."

It was clear Naruto had won that round, with stellar marks for speed and accuracy on all targets.

What followed after the obstacle run was a standing shuriken exam, in which the participants were expected to hit five dummy targets on the field with a total of twenty five kunai and shuriken. Successful hits on vital spots earned them the most points, a single throw with multiple blades earned them extra points, with speed and accuracy being the main aspects of grading. Just like the test before, the teachers lined up the kids and, one after the other, assessed them on their individual performances. As expected the majority of the kids did really well; with the star players being Hinata, Kurumi and her friends putting out the best marks.

When it came the turn of Naruto Uzumaki, the blond hit all his targets with all the blades in rapid succession. All the kunai hit dead on in the heads and center chests over the hearts, while the shuriken were spaced out over separate areas. His throw earned him an applause from his Uchiha fan club.

But when he stepped back and watched Sasuke take his turn, not only did the boy hit all of his targets successfully, but every single one of them were superbly on point. He even had all the kunai clustered around one inch of space on all five of his targets, particularly around the center masses, which he triple-tapped.

While a big cheer went up from all the girls and the villagers watching from the fence applauded, Naruto and Tayuya could only gape at the boy when he waltzed back over to them with a proud smirk on his face and hands in his pockets. When he looked back at the dummy targets at the other end of the temporary range, he clicked his tongue and shrugged.

"Five for five… and in under five seconds. With a hundred percent accuracy around the head and center masses. How about that?" Sasuke murmured, before looking back at Naruto with an arrogant grin. "What was yours? Five for five… but in six… seven seconds… and only three targets hit around the center mass? If this was real life, those other two targets would've gotten away."

Expression turning blank, Naruto then started walking up to the boy with his hands moving towards him in a strangling gesture. Luckily he was stopped by Tayuya jumping on him and grabbing him around the waist, while Tama bit onto his pant leg to hold him back. This of course didn't stop Sasuke from giving his friend a cocky look and riling him up.

In terms of shurikenjutsu, both static and mobile, Sasuke earned top marks for accuracy and speed. However, in terms of footspeed and maneuverability around obstacles, Naruto took that one.

Once the shurikenjutsu trial was over, the next stage of the practical exam began, with students being pitted against one another to show off their skills in taijutsu. As the teachers assembled Class A and B around the chalk-drawn ring in the middle of the field, a much larger crowd had gathered, including a far more illustrious audience.

The entire area stirred when, from out of the academy building, the villagers of _Konohagakure_ saw the Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mikoto Uchiha, and a group of other shinobi come out to join the Chunin instructors on the field. Flanking the village elder, the group of ninja approached the field in a casual manner, like a group of interested clients taking a tour of the vicinity. When they arrived at the edge of the ring, Iruka, Mizuki and Daikoku formed up and bowed to the village leader in greeting.

The same could be said for every other person in the vicinity, both academy students and spectators on the nearby road.

"Hokage-sama," Iruka hailed respectfully. "It's a pleasure to have you with us today."

"It's good to be out here," the old man in the white robe and wide hat replied, at the same time nodding towards the children gathered on the pitch nearby. During which time, the shinobi accompanying him, a bearded Jonin with a sash around his waist the children recognized as Asuma Sarutobi, a man wearing a blue face mask with messy, gravity defying silver hair, a raven haired man with sunglasses, and a black haired woman with red eyes wearing a white layered battle dress, spread out over the area to stand around the village leader. "Just dropped by to check on the young ones and see how they're progressing with their exams."

"Very well, Hokage-sama," Daikoku replied, while passing a glance back at the crowd of nervous and eager looking youngsters. "All of them have been giving it their all for every single test. I'm guessing the reason they're so fired up right now is because it's such a big occasion."

"In more ways than one," Mizuki commented while also glancing across at Mikoto and nodding to the woman courteously. "It's not every day the Genin graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place at the exact same time our village's next Hokage is sworn in."

The head of the Uchiha Clan nodded back to the white haired man, before then turning her attention to the field and crowds. After a moment of scanning the faces, her eyes then fell on her son, standing at the edge of the formation directly beside both Naruto and Tayuya. As soon as she spotted him, the woman smiled, earning a nod in return from Sasuke.

"I'm sure we're all looking forward to this afternoon's proceedings," Hiruzen remarked, regarding the villagers watching from a distance graciously as he slowly brought his attention back to the Chunin in charge. "But first and foremost… Iruka."

The man with the scar across his nose bowed in response, "Of course, Hokage-sama." Wheeling around, the man brought up his writing board and clicked his pen. "Alright class, here are the rules for this stage…"

What followed was yet another rundown on the prerequisites and guidelines of this stage of the exams. The students were each expected to fight one three minute round each within the boundaries of the markers drawn out for them on the floor. The winner was decided based on the instructor's assessment of the situation or whichever opponent conceded defeat, with knock outs being ruled out. After all, there was still one more batch of tests to follow after this one. Furthermore, just like it was for every taijutsu test in the past, no ninjutsu or genjutsu was allowed.

Just like before, the arrangement of the tally was randomized so as to properly show diversity in skill and ability between each student when faced with a different scenario. This most definitely included individual battlefield circumstances. With the Hokage, Mikoto, and other shinobi in attendance, all of the children were expected to show proper tact and battle etiquette during each round. Everybody would have one fight each and there were to be no disputes.

Once all the rules had been explained, Iruka got the ball rolling with the first fight, thus beginning his next string of examinations. What followed from there were a series of quick and impressive bouts of young, promising students showing the older generations of shinobi what they were capable of and what they had to offer to their village. Each pair of contestants gave their all in their rounds, with every bout ending differently or the same way.

Tayuya knocked her opponent of the ring with several well placed punches followed by a teep, showing a very strong, aggressive, brawling style of fighting she'd created from her years of training and fighting with Naruto. Making up for his quick loss from last time, Kiba went up against Mirai and showed his Inuzuka style of fighting against the Uchiha, displaying a finesse and ferocity characteristic of his clan. Even Shikamaru showed a small amount of skill… until he decided to quit about part way through when he got tired, thus cutting his assessment off a little bit short.

This earned a few laughs from the audience, while also causing Asuma and Iruka to shake their heads.

But then it came to the hard hitters of the classes. For Sasuke Uchiha, the boy was matched up against Kurumi Uchiha, which inevitably boiled down to a struggle between cousins.

After a fierce exchange of blows in center field, in which both kids danced around each other showing their respective styles from their family branches, the two ninja in training dove in to trade blows. However, with Kurumi having recently been going through a growth spurt, this put the girl at least half a head taller than Sasuke, giving her a much better reach and position over the noticeably shorter boy. When the youngster from the main branch of the family came in with a kick followed by a body blow, the girl responded with a chopping right, forcing the youngster to dodge, spring into the air, and try for a dropping spin kick to her head.

Sharingan with single tomoe in right eye spinning and the double in her left eye activating, the raven haired girl parried his blow with her right, while simultaneously hitting him out of the air with a sharp left cross, which the airborne Sasuke caught with a leg and arm check.

The latter was sent flying back from the force of the blow, skidding along the floor when he finally landed. Kicking up dust, Sasuke huffed, flashed his two tomoe Sharingan, and sprinted forward, zigzagging to confuse his opponent. Tracking his approach, Kurumi unleashed a series of flicker jabs, forcing the shorter boy to weave past them before he jumped at her with a right cross to her face. Much to everyone's surprise, the prodigy also received a counter of his own when the girl retaliated with a swift right hook, leading to a simultaneous exchange that knocked both kids' faces back and sent blood flying from their mouths.

The blows smashed both fighters skidding to opposite sides of the ring, with the pair dropping into defensive stances when they stopped sliding to watch the dust settle between them.

An observing Asuma whistled in an impressed manner. "Those two certainly aren't holding back, are they?"

"A second main branch member of the Uchiha clan fighting against a child from the fifth branch," the woman beside the bearded man in the white battle dress, Kurenai Yuhi, commented with her arms crossed over her ample chest. "It isn't just the title of Genin those two are competing for. They're also fighting for pride and place in their family hierarchy; with each one attempting to prove their worth to the other and before their village. Call it a little domestic competition."

"Well, those two are definitely in it for the top seat," Asuma chuckled, at the same time nodding towards the ring, where he watched Sasuke wipe the blood from his lip, as did Kurumi. "As expected, young Sasuke is using the _Sendai Style_ of Uchiha taijutsu; an acrobatic, versatile form that was mastered by several former heads of the Uchiha Clan, including Fugaku and Naori. Kurumi on the other hand is using an old school _Akita Style_ of Uchiha taijutsu, which makes good use of her reach and flexibility, and uses a lot of upper body work. It's also adequate for defense and counterattacking, since the form has her standing more upright as opposed to crouching down low." The man then lifted his head with a smile. "Both are incredibly sharp and both are fiercely talented."

"I'm noticing some good strategy work too," Aoba stated while adjusting his sunglasses. "Kurumi is keeping Sasuke at bay and making it very difficult for him to get close. She's taking advantage of the fact that she can hit further than he can to land blows at a safe distance, while forcing him to expend energy on excessive movements to close the gaps. But he's countering this by going in low to get her to drop her guard and go for her face."

Spitting out the blood still in his mouth, Sasuke smirked. "Not bad, cousin. I'm actually working up a bit of a sweat. You've gotten much better compared to before."

Kurumi smiled back, keeping her right hand at her face while her left hand swung back and forth in front of her like a scythe. "So have you, Sasuke-chama. I can tell you've been training a lot lately. Taking extra lessons in the evening?"

"You bet."

"Well then, let's see how much more you've improved."

With one last smile, the raven haired boy then turned serious and dashed in. Swiftly changing directions to go around, he cross paths with Kurumi when she did the same thing. Meeting in the middle, both opponents traded blows again, with Sasuke closing the gap by moving in close to cut off the girl's reach advantage. But Kurumi answered this with a swift uppercut, catching him in his guard while he threw a hook. Parrying his blow, the girl quickly retaliated with a sharp roundhouse kick, which the genius spotted through his Sharingan and blocked, at the same time landing a front kick in her stomach.

This blow sent the girl sliding back, with her arm having caught the blow. Shaking it out, Kurumi reset her stance, as did Sasuke. But just before they can move in again, the whistle was blown and both quickly looked across at the edge of the arena to see Iruka standing there with hand raised.

"That's time. Great effort you two," the Chunin said, lowering his arm and watching the kids rise out of their stances. As the pair then gave the _Sign of Reconciliation_ and exited the ring, Iruka graded their performance before then turning to the next students on his list. "Next up; Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga! Please step forward and give each other the _Sign of Confrontation_."

There was an immediate stir amongst the students when everyone heard those names called out, with even Sasuke stopping to look across at the kids in question hard for a moment. Through the clamor and the excitement, the crowd of villagers and the shinobi spectators watched Hinata march into the middle of the ring with her hands in her jacket pockets and eyes closed. Wearing her trademark baggy, cream-colored hoodie that was unzipped, bandage-style tube top exposing her midriff, and dark blue tight short shorts, the normally cool girl with the hime-style cut stopped on her side of the ring and waited for her opponent.

When Sasuke returned to where Tayuya and Naruto were standing, the boy murmured when he saw the serious look on the characteristically cold Hyuuga's face. "Damn, Naruto. I think you're going to be in for a rough three minutes."

"Yeah. Hinata can be really scary when she's serious," Tayuya said, watching as Tama hopped off of the blonde's shoulder and the delinquent remove the Bo staff carrier from behind him. "That's not even counting the fact that she's one of the top four students here, and probably the best taijutsu user in our year level. Hell, she's kicked me and Sasuke's asses consecutively in hand-to-hand."

"Ah, it'll be fine. Trust me," Naruto said in a calm and chirpy tone of voice, earning looks from the students standing around him. Wearing his signature smile, the boy blindly held his Bo staff carrier out to Sasuke, slapping it against his chest. "Oh, bagboy. Could you hold this for me for a second?"

Staring at it for a moment, the Uchiha then glowered at the blonde, "Uhh… how about you bite me?"

"I'll hold that for you, Naruto-kun." A new voice suddenly spoke up, at the same time the delinquent in question felt the bag get taken from his hand. When Naruto and the others looked behind them, they saw the familiar pink head of a cheerful Sakura Haruno smiling fondly back at them. Clutching the bag to her, the girl lowered her head and spoke to the young brawler. "G-Good luck out there."

At first appearing surprised, Naruto then cracked a smile and nodded gratefully. "Yeah. Thanks, Sakura-chan." Adjusting his goggles, the kid then ambled out onto the ring too, where he took up his spot on the end and turned to face his opponent.

As soon as he did, silence quickly fell amongst the excited students, with the observing teachers also seemingly bracing themselves when they saw the air wafting off of the pair of combatants. Even the seasoned Jonin shinobi gathered on the sidelines behind the Hokage were immediately intrigued by the matchup.

"Well now… this ought to be interesting," Kakashi stated while crossing his arms, earning nods of agreement from Asuma and Kurenai.

Unbeknownst to the students and teachers, out on the street behind the fence, standing at the front of the crowd of villagers and wearing his typical white robes, Hiashi Hyuuga had made found himself a comfortable spot to watch the Genin trials. While nobody really seemed to take notice of him, the head of the _Hyuuga Clan_ didn't mind one bit, as he was now currently focused on watching his daughter fight against another from her class for the first time.

As Naruto and Hinata made the _Sign of Confrontation_ with one another, both of whom couldn't shake the glares from their faces, a quietly watching Ino and Kiba couldn't help but cringe nervously at how scary Hinata was now looking.

"You think… they're going to be okay?" Ino asked, as she was now seeing a very long and bloody fight ahead of them. "I mean… they're not going to kill each other, right?"

"Beats me. Naruto and Hinata are both monsters in taijutsu. Not to mention no one from this class has ever been able to beat either of them in a straight up fight, so I can't tell you what's going to happen," Kiba commented in a quiet voice, lest the two kids out on the ring heard him. When Akamaru whimpered nervously, the boy with brown spiky hair sighed. "All I know is that this round is going to be epic."

Ino shivered when she felt the intensity radiating from both kids, "Two of the big four pitted against one another. I wonder what they're both thinking right now."

One hand still in his pocket after acknowledging his opponent with the proper hand seal, Naruto kept his eyes fixated on the girl across from him. _"I've fought against kids and teenagers of all ages, sizes and strengths from every single clan in this village, including Hyuuga Clan drop outs and prodigies starting three years back. As far as my experience goes, the punks from that clan were the toughest S-O-Bs I'd ever brawled with."_ A smirk then tugged at his lips as he then slid his foot out and took a stance. _"But… I know how they fight and I know how Hinata operates… so I have a good idea how to beat her."_

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Hinata was still glaring heatedly at the blond, giving the impression that she wanted to murder the boy right where he stood. But while her outside told one story to everyone else, her insides were saying something else entirely.

" _Oh Kami, I'm fighting Naruto-kun. What do I do? What do I do? I mean… I can't NOT fight him, otherwise I'll fail the Genin Exams and I won't be put on a team with him like I planned. S-So I have no choice but to fight him. But how?"_ Sweat started to appear on her brow as her jaw tightened uncomfortably. _"Naruto-kun is strong, and he likes hanging out with and fighting really, really strong people. So… do I try to beat him or not? I-If I beat him, he'll get embarrassed and hate me for the rest of his life. But if I can't beat him and I let him take me down, then he'll lose interest in me completely and not talk to me ever again! GAAAH! No matter what I do, I'm screwed! There's no way I can work around this without getting Naruto-kun angry… the kindest, smartest, bravest, most daring, cutest, handsomest-RAAAAGH!"_ Her body started to shake with nerves as she continued rambling inside her brain. _"What am I going to do?!"_

As he continued to watch her, Naruto couldn't help but give the girl a strange look when he suddenly saw steam start floating off of the top of her head. Even the other kids and teachers seemed to notice this, with several of them beginning to exchange odd looks.

"Uhh… you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked, starting to feel a little bit concerned at the girl's shaking, shivering and overheating bout.

Face turning red when she realized she was being addressed by her crush, Hinata stiffened up and nodded, "Ah. I… I'm fine, Naruto-kun. Just… lost in thought, you know. Heh-heh." Her voice actually broke mid-stutter, which earned a blink of unison from all the people present.

Choji, standing beside Shikamaru as he usually did, leant over and whispered to his friend. "This is weird. I've never heard Hinata stutter before… or seen her shaking in her boots in front of people."

"Yeah. Normally she'd have charged in by now and completely emasculated her opponent… but she's just standing there and sweating," the Nara whispered back in agreement.

"I think she might actually be scared of fighting Naruto," the Akimichi replied, who then shrugged when he saw the blonde perform a few neck stretches. "I mean, shoot, I wouldn't want to fight him. The guy can knock you out with a single punch or kick, and make it look like he isn't even trying. Heck, he even did it to Kiba not that long ago, and that guy's one of the best fighters in this class. But this… I just don't get it." The rotund youngster then scrunched his face up tightly. "Hinata… the quiet, smart, well-mannered, standoffish girl that isn't afraid of anything and would bite your head off if you made her mad enough."

Observing the girl for a few moments, Shikamaru then tilted his head thoughtfully. "There's a word to describe girls like her." He then leant over and whispered to his friend in clear, spaced-out syllables. "Tsun-de-re."

"Ah! Yeah… I can totally see that," Choji chirped before narrowing his eyes. "I mean… we're seeing the _dere_ now… but where's the _tsun_?"

It was at that moment Hinata suddenly snapped her head towards the two boys and flashed her _**Byakugan**_ menacingly at them, while at the same time showing off her blushing face and baring her fangs. "If you two don't shut up in the next few seconds, I'm going to come over there and eviscerate the both of you!"

The moment she shouted that threat, everyone in the crowd froze up, while Shikamaru and Choji seemingly teleported to the other side of the field to stand by the fence a safe, dozen yards away. The only people who seemed amused by this response were Tayuya, Sasuke and Naruto, the former of whom actually had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter.

" _ **Ah. There it is,"**_ Shikamaru and Choji both thought simultaneously as they stood as still as statues beside the fence, looking calm on the outside but were actually really terrified. Since their backs were turned to the crowd of villagers on the other side, they missed the entertained looks from the audience and the proud, fatherly snicker from Hiashi Hyuuga.

While Naruto finished laughing, the boy then watched Hinata turn back around to him to fix her clan's signature dōjutsu on him. Seeing he had her attention, but that she was still blushing and still looking incredibly tense, the delinquent nodded to her. "Hey, Hinata-chan." Noticing the girl shudder and blink at him, the youngster then beamed and gave her a sincere nod. "There's no need to be nervous. Come on. I really want you to show me that amazing, kick-ass fighting style of yours."

His words only seemed to make Hinata's face glow even redder. "My… a-amazing… fighting style?"

Naruto nodded and then widened his own stance, bringing his right hand up to protect his cheek while his left arm swayed in front of him. "Yeah. Just relax, shake it off, and come at me with everything you have. After all, this won't be any fun if you're not giving it your all." With a wink, he then proceeded to skip on the spot.

Completely enamored by the delinquent's words of encouragement and positivity, Hinata felt all her nerves and doubts evaporate, allowing her to take a deep breath and relax. Once relieved of her woes, the girl slid her foot out into a wide stance and, weaving her arms through the air, held them out into a defensive stance. During which time her _Byakugan_ locked on her foe and her expression became one of utter seriousness once more.

"I'm ready."

Pleased to hear this, Naruto stopped his skipping and started to shuffle around the dirt ring, with Hinata moving in the opposite direction, causing both of them to begin circling one another. For the next few seconds the students and teachers watched the kids size one another up while moving around one another, getting closer and closer with every step. Eventually the pair had switched sides and were both still glaring one another down.

After seeing this, Iruka, feeling that the pair had settled down enough to begin, raised his hand and dropped it. "And… BEGIN!"

The moment he shouted, Naruto made the first move, darting forward in a blur and opening up on Hinata with a swift jab. Spotting the boy's attack closing in on her in a blur, the blue haired girl responded, using a sweeping motion of her arm to deflect his punch and his momentum to spin her around on the spot. The moment the delinquent slipped past her, the Hyuuga spun and struck towards the back of his head with a follow-up palm strike, aiming to knock him out. But the instant she did, she saw Naruto wheel around in a similar manner she did, using his momentum to spin and parry her blow.

From there the calm Hinata began lashing and striking out at Naruto with a series of swift, sharp, yet incredibly graceful and elegant palm strikes. Her blows and attacks hinging on flexible waist and body movements, the girl's finger jabs and hands flew towards the boy unheeded, only to be completely deflected when the delinquent proceeded to parry all of her blows with sharp elbows and hand swipes. Though her hands threatened to cut down the boy with direct blows and sharp bursts of chakra to his organs, Naruto kept all of her attacks from landing on him by knocking away each and every one of her attacks.

As Hinata pressed forward her attack, Naruto defended, leading to the two beginning an elaborate and graceful dance around one another.

The students and teachers watched the fight, observing Hinata and Naruto spin around one another at such a close proximity that their battle didn't even leave two paces from the floor space that they were fighting in. Yet the pair continued to trade blows, with the kunoichi-in-training throwing the most attacks as she attempted to nail the blond with at least one of her palm or finger strikes. But as their brisk, vicious exchange continued, the 'jinchuriki' continued to show a superb and wieldy defense against the female prodigy as he calmly redirected and dodged all of his opponent's attacks.

As dust was kicked up around the duo, Sasuke then blinked in surprise when he noticed something strange about their duel. "Hey… Tayuya… Naruto's fighting style… is he…?"

The redhead, being the only one who wasn't gaping in awe at the pair's battle, simply smiled from ear to ear and nodded. "Yep. I know." This caused the intently watching Sakura to look between the pair in confusion, as she had no idea what was going on.

Apparently Hiruzen and the shinobi standing around him also noticed this, with the old Hokage cracking a smile. _"I see you've learned a few interesting tricks over the years, Naruto-kun. Well done."_

Gritting her teeth when a few more of her circular swings and palm strikes were effortlessly parried by Naruto's firm blocks, deflections and arm positions, Hinata then tried to slip one by him by spinning around in the opposite direction following a strike and, when her body was only halfway around, she changed directions mid-swing into a sliding strike from below, her right hand striking upwards towards Naruto's ribs from under her left arm, while her left hand was blocking his line of sight. But somehow, with only a split second to react while standing just a foot from his opponent, Naruto deflected her blow downwards and retaliated with a swift straight from the same arm.

The blow struck across Hinata's extended limb to her left shoulder. Despite her parrying it, the force of the delinquent's blow sent the girl flying back with a thump and a yelp, sending her into a spin that she quickly corrected. Redirecting her momentum forward, she skidded to a stop, allowing the Hyuuga heiress to position her arms into a pressed sit back position and glare her opponent down, thus placing her outside of the tiny circle they'd been fighting in.

Naruto, switching hand positions and bringing his right arm across his face and left across his torso defensively, chuckled. " _Monkey steals the fruit_ … I believe that's what that move was called. An underhanded jabbing strike from below on a circular reversal."

"And you countered with a _fan parry and return_ across the left flank," Hinata replied with a seemingly surprised expression. "How… do you know my clan's fighting techniques?"

The delinquent shrugged, "I've run into a few Hyuuga in the past… some of them _nice_ and some of them _not-so-nice_. But I did manage to learn a few cool tricks from them." The boy then changed hand positions again, switching to a southpaw stance while Hinata remained as she was. "I'm also a quick study of martial arts books and form. Watching you fight these last few years during Iruka's classes has given me a lot to think about, Hinata-chan."

With a frown still framing her face, the Hyuuga heiress took a deep breath before charging back in, meeting the boy with a flurry of palm strikes and body spins. Naruto retaliated in kind, parrying her blows while using shorter, compact movements and stepping into her defensive circle to negate her rotations and reach. Using his knowledge of the fact that the Hyuuga prefer fighting at middle range as opposed to up close, as the super close distance prevents them from using their circular flourishes characteristic of their style, Naruto kept at least two inches away from her at all times, allowing her to dance around him while he orbited in kind.

The act of which allowed the blond to effectively deflect and repel all of her strikes from all directions, preventing her from landing any successful palm strikes and hitting his chakra circulatory system.

From the sidelines, the Jonin shinobi were very impressed.

"That's some excellent defense work," Mikoto commented, earning a nod from Hiruzen in kind. "Short, swift, precise, and with no wasted movements whatsoever."

"Hinata Hyuuga is also doing exceptionally well," the Hokage stated with a smile. "Her family's _Gentle Fist_ style is the most graceful and elegant I've ever seen. Every single one of her moves are designed to redirect her opponent's weight and momentum, allowing her to control his body movements and maneuver him into positions to counter. She also applies bursts of chakra from her limbs and body to compensate for sudden directional changes and engagements."

"But Naruto is cancelling all of these out completely," Mikoto informed, at the same time gesturing towards the boy. "His reaction time is ridiculous, even by shinobi standards. He's reading his opponent like a book, evading and circling around every single one of her kicks, palm strikes and backhands, and swaying away before moving back in with a series of swift counters. He's also moving with the flow of her chakra bursts, using the force from them to spin back in to retaliate. Though Hinata is able to deal with his movements, Naruto is taking advantage of her redirected blows and momentary lapses in balance to attack, while at the same time considering what she's going to do next. That kind of forethought and strategy is a rare gem to find in taijutsu practitioners. He's a truly gifted fighter."

"This much you can expect from someone who only uses taijutsu as his main form of combat," Hiruzen informed with a smile.

Grunting as she struggled to land a blow on the boy, resorting to spinning back and forth with palm and elbow strikes from two directions and multiple angles, Hinata quickly spun out of range, aiming a kick at Naruto's forward leg, only to watch him avoid it and counter with a right cross. Performing a quick turn and a rotation of her arms, Hinata swiftly fired off several straight blows and a spinning backhand, only for Naruto to effectively shoot them down and counter each one simultaneously. The Hyuuga blocked and retaliated swiftly in kind, their blows causing a series of dull thumps to ring out, before their arms crossed on a synchronized parry. They then stepped in close to only an inch away from one another.

Naruto then locked up the girl, planting a leg on the floor directly behind her calf while driving his arm across her neck and collar, digging his elbow into her shoulder. He kept Hinata's palms away from his body while the girl also locked down, the pair freezing in a static grappling lock as they glared across at their opponent at pointblank range.

The crowd watched on silently and nervously, wondering what was going to happen next, while the senior members of the group waited for Hinata to deflect his opponent with a quick _juken_ burst from her tenketsu. But after several seconds of watching and waiting, Hiashi and the observing Jonin quickly realized that something was wrong.

As she continued to press into her opponent through a slightly red face, Hinata then blinked in surprise when she couldn't move. _"I… I should've dislodged him by now with a chakra burst from my body to break his hold. Why isn't it working?"_

Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Naruto smirked and spoke to the girl while he had her full attention. "Your _**Jūken**_ (Gentle Fist) style works by leaking chakra out from the body's chakra openings, either in small bursts to repel enemies or needle-like blades to slice through substances. This allows you to redirect physical attacks, escape from holds and break out of restraints with minimal effort. Topped with your _**Byakugan**_ , it also allows you to directly attack the chakra circulatory system and internal organs." The blond then gestured the girl's attention towards his limbs. "However… you're not the only one who is able to exude chakra from their body to fight."

When Hinata turned her attention to his limbs, she quickly noticed that chakra was bleeding out of Naruto's pores as well and being forced up against her body where they were making contact. This took the girl completely by surprise, as she hadn't been able to spot this until just now.

"B-But how?" Hinata stuttered in shock.

"This is another trick I picked up after fighting a Hyuuga drop out from the academy. By forcing my chakra outwards at such a close proximity, I'm able to create a vacuum effect on your pores by smothering your chakra openings, which is stopping you from emitting chakra blasts to break free. That means your close-range defenses have been shut down," Naruto responded, at the same time grinning excitedly at the girl. "It's one of the many weapons I've developed for my _**Kūken**_ (Void Fist) style."

Hinata gaped at the boy as the pair held their ground, their limbs trembling as they pushed against one another. Despite being caught in such a precarious position, the blue haired academy student could only stare at her opponent with a newfound sense of awe and admiration.

" _Naruto-kun… you're… amazing,"_ Hinata thought.

Figuring they'd held out long enough, Naruto then dragged his arm across her collar and cupped his hands right over her stomach, at the exact same time Hinata did. At once, both students let off a blast of chakra from their hands, sending both combatants sliding away from one another to skid to a stop several feet away.

Still grinning excitedly, the completely unfazed Naruto then dashed in for another engagement, at the same time Hinata reciprocated. The girl spun in with a series of palm strikes and back hands, letting off blasts of chakra to try and repel and disrupt her opponent's fighting style. However, thanks to the blonde's complimentary body movements and orthodox deflections, none of her attacks managed to land, leading to the boy stepping inside her defensive range once more.

Giving a low growl of momentary frustration, Hinata felt the boy catch and trap her arm for what felt like the tenth time in a row, before quickly deciding to use a new move. Swinging her arms around in a quick flourish, at the same time deftly twisting her wrist from his grip, the girl suddenly pivoted on the spot before throwing herself into a spin. Spotting her maneuver, a still defensive Naruto suddenly hit the brakes on his counterattack, just in time to watch the girl's form begin spinning like a top just two feet in front of her, blue chakra spilling from her body and forming into a miniature cyclone around her. The audience watched in astonishment when a dome of wind and energy surrounded Hinata, who then gave a cry of effort.

" _ **Hakkesho Kaiten!"**_ (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven) the Hyuuga bellowed, before releasing a massive surge of chakra and causing the rotating dome around her to expand violently and with force.

Reacting in alarm, Naruto jumped away at the last second to avoid the surface of the sphere from hitting him, leaping to a safe distance to observe as Hinata's attack burrowed a crater into the floor around her, while sending debris and dust pelting in all directions.

The Chunin and the Jonin watching from the sidelines could only stare in surprise as the academy student unleashed her defensive trump card.

"Hey. Isn't that…?" Kurenai spoke with wide eyes.

"The Hyuuga Clan's secret taijutsu technique," Kakashi informed, watching along with the rest of the shocked audience as the dome retracted and Hinata stopped spinning. As the wind and dust started to settle around her position, the Jonin with silver hair lowered his head thoughtfully. "A defensive move that's been passed down through the members of the main household for generations. It allows the users to deflect and repel all forms of physical attack by creating a field of outwardly rotating energy by spinning the body and expelling chakra from all of their openings. From what I heard, that is an incredibly difficult technique to master…"

"And Hinata is able to use it at such a young age?" Asuma murmured, unable to fully believe what he'd just watched either.

Hiashi, hearing the mutterings and clamor caused by Hinata's display of the technique, smiled proudly. _"Hinata is a fine, talented warrior… born with the strength and clout that has the potential to make her one of the strongest Hyuuga in history. To be honest, I never thought something like this was even possible. Years ago I'd almost lost hope… thinking that Hinata's shy, timid and compassionate nature would keep her from reaching her full potential. But then… one day… her disposition and attitude towards training changed entirely… and since then all of her time and effort has been devoted to building her skills, studying her techniques, and making herself stronger, both mentally and physically."_ The father then smiled when he saw his daughter reassume a new stance in the middle of the field. _"She's growing faster and becoming more powerful than I could've ever imagined. However…"_ His gaze then switched over to Naruto, whom he could see was staring back at his opponent with an unflinching, undeterred look. _"The opponent you're fighting today Hinata… the one who inspired your newfound strength and confidence, and whom you've come to idolize… he's on an entirely different level."_

After staring at the smirking Hinata for a moment, Naruto then chuckled and slid his foot back. "So… you had a technique like that hidden up your sleeve? I gotta say, that was pretty impressive… and a little bit scary. If you'd actually hit me with that, I would've been in big trouble." It was then he shifted his weight behind him and clenched his fists tightly, causing his opponent to lower herself cautiously. "But… even with its perfect three hundred and sixty degrees of defense and power, it does have one critical weakness." He then crouched down low into a sprinter's stance and braced himself, his muscles noticeably bulking up and straining against his pants and jacket. A wicked grin then spread across his lips. "Here. Let me show you."

Hinata shuffled back cautiously for a moment, not exactly sure what the boy had planned. However, just as she and everybody else were watching, she suddenly saw the boy's form transform into a blur and zigzag towards her in a flash. Recoiling in alarm when she suddenly saw the boy's face just an inch in front of her, his body taking up half of her perfect field of view, the blue haired girl bit her teeth together and instinctively threw a right palm strike for his head.

" _S-So fast!"_ Hinata thought, her attack flying towards his face, only to suddenly see his fist come up and slam into her extending hand. With her arm only halfway, the force of his punch reverberated down her arm and caused it to blow back sharply, a look of shock appearing on the girl's face when her whole body weight was thrown back. _"He intercepted my strike mid-swing? Damn it!"_ Thinking fast, the girl then used the backwards momentum of her deflected arm to send herself into a spin. _"No time to recover! I'll have to use it again!"_ With a quick burst of chakra to get her motor running, the girl's feet dragged across the floor in a circular direction while her arms began to curl. _**"H-Hakkesho Kait-"**_

 _ **THUMP**_

All of a sudden, just as she was getting her momentum going, Hinata's body stopped moving. Looking up in shock as a blast of wind rippled from her, the girl saw Naruto had intercepted her body on the very first turn; his left arm held protectively across his chin while his hand gripped the wrist of her right arm, keeping it fully extended. What's more, not only was the right side of her body turned into him, but her forward right foot had been stopped by his left leg, which had dug into the floor directly behind her calf, keeping it stuck there.

The crowd of academy students and teachers could only watch silently in amazement, as Naruto had Hinata completely locked down.

Naruto grinned widely when he saw his opponent staring over her shoulder at him. "The strength of that technique comes from the speed of your continuous rotations. However, if you cut off the user before they can pick up speed at the start of their movement, it cancels out the technique completely and stops you dead. Now I have you!"

Gasping, Hinata quickly tried to break out, but Naruto suddenly switched things up by thrusting his left arm over her body before sweeping her legs out from under her, at the same time tipping and causing her to fall backwards. With her footing gone, the girl was sent dropping to the floor like a dead weight. However, with a quick burst of chakra from her back, the young heiress quickly spun out of the body dump, slammed a hand into the ground, and expertly cartwheeled away.

Managing to recover from the boy's tripping maneuver, Hinata landed safely on the other side of the ring and quickly stood up, only to see Naruto was charging right at her once again. Stumped at his speed and aggression, the girl responded to the boy's approach with a left palm strike from the side, at the same time using her right hand to guard her face when she saw his left fist extending.

From the audience's point of view it happened in an instant, but from Naruto and Hinata's point of view, it was all taking place in slow motion.

Hinata's arm shot forward in a blur of motion. _"I'll match his approach with a counter!"_ Suddenly the girl saw the delinquent step in much closer, shortening the range considerably and causing the heiress's eyes to widen. _"No! The motion is too short! It's direct from the right! So I'll dodge to the left!"_ Just as the girl was moving to avoid for her counter to follow-through, she suddenly saw his right hand come into play and shoot upwards in a flash. _"No? That was a feint! An uppercut!"_

Out of desperation Hinata hit the brakes and threw her body back as fast as she could, just in time to dodge the boy's uppercut that shot past a millimeter from her face and into the air. This blow ended up causing a sharp gust of wind to ripple off of Naruto, which kicked up dust and sent a compressed blast of force shooting skywards. All those standing outside of the arena felt the breath of the shockwave hit them in the faces, with all the kids gasping at how close Naruto's punch came to taking Hinata's head clean off.

Clenching her jaw when she felt the burn of his knuckles barely graze her chin, the blue haired girl watched Naruto calmly retract his fist. Seizing the moment, Hinata dove in with a right finger strike towards his neck. _"That was close! I couldn't anticipate that attack at all! But now I can finish this! I'll target the primary node in his neck and cut off his chakra!"_ Her fingers flew towards the boy, who watched her attack approach at the same time his arm dropped. _"Follow Naruto-kun's arm back in and-_ Gah!" Just a split second before her attack could land however, Hinata suddenly felt her legs and body give out, causing her to stumble past Naruto.

In response, the blond simply stepped out of the way and watched the girl drop to the floor like a sack of flour.

On her hands and knees, Hinata stared ahead of her in shock, her _**Byakugan**_ deactivating at the same time as she felt every muscle in her body seize up. Trembling, the girl attempted to make sense as to what was going on, as her vision quickly became spotty.

"W-What the? What's… going on?" Hinata gasped, trying to will her body to stop trembling but failing. "I… I can't move…"

Seeing Hinata was down with Naruto standing calmly next to her, completely unscathed, the kids began clamoring in confusion. As everyone started talking amongst each other, a startled Sakura glanced across at Tayuya and Sasuke.

"Hang on. Why is Hinata down?" the pink haired girl asked, as the entire exchange happened too fast for her to see. "Didn't Naruto's punch miss? What the heck happened?"

"His uppercut didn't miss." The new voice had Sakura and everybody else turn to look at Kurumi, where they saw the tallest girl in their age group staring at the field with both her Sharingan activated. "It was close, but he managed to graze her chin with the edge of his knuckles when she tried to sway back. Hinata may not have felt it, but it definitely hit." The raven haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Was that… intentional?"

"You bet it was," Tayuya remarked, as she was certain of the blonde's intentions.

"But then… if it just grazed her, then why is she…?" Sakura began, only to stop short when she took a moment to think about it. Her eyes then snapped back to the field. "Ah! I see!"

"If you get hit in the chin, it shakes your brain in a way that makes your body freeze up because of its connection to the nervous system," Tayuya said, her arms still crossed as she smiled across at her roommate, whom he saw was looking down at Hinata in a concerned manner. "Even if you're conscious, your body won't respond the way you want it to, leading to a temporary shutdown in motor functions. Thanks to that hit, Hinata won't be able to get back up… at least not right away."

"It'll take a little bit for the effects and muscle spasms to wear off. But by the time she's able to move, she'd already be knocked out or killed," Sasuke finished, hands on his hips and his serious gaze fixed on the scene in front of him. "Hinata lost."

Taking in all of this information spelled out to her, Sakura exhaled in amazement. "Wow." Outwardly she was stunned, but inside, her heart was racing a mile a minute as her eyes fixed on the blond victor. _"He really is incredible."_

Iruka, snapping out of his shocked reverie, finished up the count in his head and quickly thrust his arm out. "And that's it! Naruto is the winner! Well done you two." An excited cheer and applause of congratulations starting up amongst the students, the Chunin then gave his next set of instructions to the youngsters still out in the open. "Be sure to give the _Sign of Reconciliation_ before stepping off the field."

Body still trembling as she knelt there on the floor, Hinata suddenly felt a shadow over her and looked up. When she did, she saw the kindly face of her opponent staring back down at her.

"Hey. You okay?" Naruto asked, at the same time offering a hand to the girl. "I didn't hit your chin too hard, did I?"

After gazing up at the boy for a moment, the normally coolheaded girl whispered. "N-Naruto-ku-" Gasping, the girl then blushed and shook her head, before then looking away heatedly. "Hmph. You don't need to act so concerned. I'm fine. Your punch just surprised me, that's all."

Not put off by the girl's huffed response in the slightest, Naruto continued to smile and kept his hand out. "Oh. That's good. But I'd feel like a bit of a prick if I didn't offer the young lady a hand after she's fallen down."

At first not saying anything, Hinata's pale eyes shifted between the crowd and Naruto's hand a couple of times. Her blush then deepened when she hesitantly reached up and accepted, allowing the noble delinquent to hoist her up. Once she was on her feet, the girl shoved her hands in her pockets and looked away. "Th-Thanks."

"You're welcome."

As Naruto and Hinata walked back on their own terms, the children immediately flocked around them, with Kurumi immediately gushing over Naruto's skills, Sakura giving him back his Bo staff carrier, and Tayuya teasing him for being such a showoff. During this same period the Jonin spectators and the Hokage couldn't help but nod their heads in approval of the performance they'd just witnessed, as they were able to see for themselves the kind of talent that would be coming out of this year's group.

Even Hiashi, who was hiding amongst the crowd of spectators on the road, was deeply impressed with the display. Though his daughter did lose, he knew she still had much growth and experience to gain before she could become anything. So, in spite of the outcome, the man continued to smile as the next round in the taijutsu portion of the exam began.

OOO

As for the instructors at the academy and their students it was business as usual. Once the last of the fights had been wrapped up, with none of the following bouts even coming close to the excitement earned from the Naruto, Sasuke, Kurumi and Hinata battles, Iruka then dismissed the youngsters for lunch. The kids broke off to their respective areas to eat, not only giving the teachers time to mark the exams the classes had taken so far, but also allowing the students to mentally and physically prepare themselves for the final hurdles to come.

Seeing as how this day was touching all the bases of their education, they had a great deal of expectations riding on their shoulders. What with the arrival of the Hokage and a handful of other shinobi, it wasn't just a matter of proving themselves worthy of the rank of Genin to their teachers. They also had to show their village leader and the adults they would be working aside that they were capable of carrying the weight and responsibilities of _Konohagakure_. So far their marks had all been steady, with only a few showing exceptional talent and skill in the handful of key areas.

But confidence was still high amongst the students, and by the time lunch break was over, the final tests could begin.

This was the ninjutsu portion of the tests, where all the kids were lined up and instructed to go through the three E-Rank techniques they'd learned over the last two years.

The first was the _**Kawarimi no Jutsu**_ (Replacement Technique), where they were expected to replace their body with one of the objects provided, whether it is a log, a dummy, a chair, or anything else of comparable size. This test was conducted inside the academy's main hall with the students from both classes standing on one side of the room and the objects lined up on the other. Grading was based on how quickly and stealthily they could perform this technique, while also switching places with the provided items.

Then there was the _**Henge no Jutsu**_ (Transformation Technique). For this one the students were taken back to their classes and lined up, where they were then given a series of photographs of individuals they were required to transform into. Grading was based on all the details they were able to capture from the photos, with the Chunin inspecting each transformation closely for any unusual anomalies.

Finally, there was the _**Bunshin no Jutsu**_ (Clone Technique), the move that one particular student in the year level could not do, no matter how hard he tried. It was also the main concern of everyone, because it was the one technique that determined whether some of the students would pass or fail. But success was only determined by those who practiced and perfected, and one by one, as the students were called into the next room to perform the technique for the teachers, each and every one performed the jutsu successfully and without fail.

And so, after watching Tayuya and Sasuke leave the room, Naruto was then called up. Appearing a little bit anxious, the boy walked into the chamber across the hall with Tama on his shoulder, where he discovered Iruka, Mizuki and Daikoku sitting behind a desk covered in headbands, with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mikoto Uchiha standing beside them and watching. Initially surprised to see the Hokage there, the youngster waltzed out in front of the heads of the academy and administration area, and stood before them with his hands in his pockets.

Iruka smiled at seeing the boy stand at the front of the room. "Hello, Naruto. Pretty exciting day, wouldn't you agree?"

The youngster smiled and nodded, "Oh yeah. Hell exciting." He then turned to Hiruzen and Mikoto, and bowed his head to both of them in greeting. "Hokage-jiji… Mikoto-san."

When the pair nodded to the youngster in kind, Iruka turned to his paperwork and, after skimming over it for a moment, then looked up towards the blond once more. "So, as I discussed with you a month prior, you don't need to perform a successful _Bunshin no Jutsu_ in order to move on to the rank of Genin. Your performances in this year's tests, as well as your recent displays in the exams, were more than enough to get you a pass with distinction from me. However, if you still wish to give this technique one last try, I will allow it."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto then brought his hands up and laced his fingers together. "Oh well… no harm in trying, right?" Flying through hand seals, he manipulated his chakra just like he practiced to produce a clone, a split second before a puff of smoke went up next to him. Waving it away, the blond looked hopefully across the way, only to then look down to find two, pale-white emaciated copies of himself lying on the ground on top of each other. Frowning, he then looked back at the crowd of instructors awkwardly, whom he could see were all looking at his duplicates oddly. "Yeah… and _that_ happens."

A chuckle left Mizuki's lips as he smiled across at his fellow instructor and friend. "Not everyone can be good at everything. I mean, out of all the techniques and practices in the world, there's always going to be at least one aspect that people will always falter at, no matter how hard they try." He then held a hand out towards the child while looking over at Daikoku. "Naruto may be terrific in all other areas of being a shinobi; combat, study, stealth… but he doesn't even know how to perform a single ninjutsu above the required E-Rank techniques. Are you sure he will be alright out there in the real world?"

Daikoku chuckled. "There have been many ninja in the past who've advanced without knowing any ninjutsu at all. Even the majority of shinobi from small families and clans only have taijutsu, kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu at their disposal. Considering how good this kid is at taijutsu, I don't see any problems with him moving on to the forces."

This assessment had Mizuki chuckle and look back towards the front. "I suppose that's alright. Very well. I'll trust you two on your judgement."

Upon hearing the remarks of his colleagues and seeing the unconscious clones Naruto had created disappear in two puffs of smoke, Iruka smiled and scribbled down the results. "It was a good effort, Naruto. Even though you were unsuccessful here, you've still earned enough credit to get your headband. So, as your homeroom teacher and instructor, it is my pleasure to-" Just as the man was reaching for a headband on his table, he was suddenly stopped by Mikoto Uchiha holding a hand out to him. Looking up, the young man then watched the woman walk over to Naruto to stand in front of her.

Seeing the boy staring up at her curiously, the head of the Uchiha Clan beamed and, reaching into her pouch, pulled out another Konoha headband; a slightly scratched one sewn to a new, blue strip of fabric. As soon as his eyes turned to it, Mikoto spoke. "This forehead protector belonged to your mother. It was given to me on the day after she died at my request… and now I'm giving it to you, in honor of the occasion." Reaching down, she removed the goggles sitting over his brow and replaced it with the headband. Once it was wrapped tightly around his head, the woman stepped back and smiled. "Wherever she is… and wherever your father is, I pray that they will watch out for you and protect you from here on out."

Her words of sincerity caused Naruto's eyes to shimmer with happiness and sadness, with the boy sniffing and straightening up. With Tama hanging off of his shoulder comfortably, the youngster responded in kind. "Th-Thank you, Mikoto-san." He then shook his head and grinned. "I mean… Future Hokage-sama."

The woman giggled and, reaching up, ruffled his hair. "Just Mikoto is fine, Naruto-kun."

As Naruto laughed and showed his friend Tama that he'd finally earned his headband, and Mikoto finished congratulating him for graduating, behind all the laughing and smiling going on from the majority of the people in the room, Mizuki was having his own reaction. Discreetly folding his fingers in front of his mouth, the man hid his displeasure through a veil of composure, while his eyes reflected thoughts of a less friendly nature.

" _These ignorant fools are going to lead this village to ruin,"_ the man thought, his stomach churning with disgust at seeing Mikoto Uchiha interacting with the Kyuubi's jinchuriki with such a carefree manner.

OOO

Not long afterwards, the academy students from both classrooms were then led by their Chunin instructors to the _Hokage Tower_ , where they were all guided to the top of the building and arranged in an orderly fashion at the balcony. It was from that roof, every single child there saw an enormous crowd of villagers had been gathered on the roads and courtyard below. And it wasn't just farmers, shop keepers and other hospitality workers that had turned up. Shinobi and caretakers from every single clan had also taken to the scene and had arranged themselves beneath the shadow of both the tower and the monument.

Sasuke, Naruto, Tayuya, Sakura, Kurumi and Hinata, all of whom were standing in a row, could only look on in amazement at the thousands of people they could see below. As they marveled at the sights and attempted to make out all the familiar faces in the crowd, they suddenly heard a massive cheer go up. When they looked across to the very center of the balcony, where a gap in their line had been made, they saw the Third Hokage standing there, clad in his Hokage robes and arms at his sides.

After waving and smiling to all the villagers formed up down below, the elderly village leader then dropped his hand and set it on the balcony's railing.

"Today is a momentous day for _Konohagakure_! Because not only are we proud to recognize and congratulate this year's group of newly graduated Genin, and acknowledge their outstanding achievements," After gesturing to the two lines of students on either side of him, Hiruzen then took a step to the side and held his arm out to the person standing behind him, "we are also here to celebrate the start of a new era! An era that I believe will lead us all down the road to a better tomorrow! These last few years have seen our village gripped by great economic upset, personal heartbreak and social strife, and recently saw the near devastation of one of our community's founding circles. However, in spite of the tragic events of that horrifying night, the clan has managed to endure, and from the aftermath of the attack, have not only resewn the bonds of friendship and allegiance with our village, have also unified their branches and grown even stronger than before. All thanks to the efforts and guidance of one individual! It is this individual, this beacon of humanity, who I am pleased to announce has been selected, by you, myself and the daimyo, to be the next Hokage! Mikoto Uchiha!"

As soon as his speech was done, a loud cry went up throughout the village as cheers and applause rained down upon the great red tower. Under the calls of adulation and celebration, the kunoichi standing behind Hiruzen approached the balcony, where she stood by the railings beside the village leader. With a proud smile on her face, the woman in the black uniform and vest turned to Hiruzen. After bowing to him gratefully, Mikoto then saw the man remove the wide-brimmed hat from his head and hand it over to her, which she accepted gladly.

The moment the raven haired mother placed the hat on, an even louder cheer and applause went up. The kunoichi herself placed her hand on her hip and, with a grin, posed before the village at the balcony while Hiruzen stepped back, clapping for the woman just as the newly dubbed Genin did.

Naruto, standing closest to the middle, glanced across at Sasuke standing on the other side of Tayuya, whom he could see was practically beaming at his mother with pride. This sight put a smile on the blonde's face, who didn't hesitate to clap for Mikoto as well and silently offer her his best wishes.

As a blast of wind whipped across the balcony, the kunoichi in the center stage then spoke in a loud and clear voice, making her first address directly to the Third. "Thank you, Hiruzen, for granting me the honor of this seat, and thank you everyone for giving me this chance! I know that in the last several years my people and this village has had their share of hardships and disagreements. But following the incident with the Uchiha Clan and our district, I have done my very best to bring our people together and rebuild all that we had lost- our relationship, our reputation, and our standing within this great community! That is why, starting from today, I make you this solemn vow; to my forbearers, to my clan, and to the village- my family- that I will show you the same care, diligence, and dedication that I have shown to my position as the head of the Uchiha Clan, to the role as this village's first Uchiha and first female Hokage!" She then swung her hand out from one side of the horizon to the other in a grand gesture of dignity. "From this moment on, I, Mikoto Uchiha, am the new leader of the _**Village Hidden in the Leaves**_! The Fifth Hokage!"

Her speech came with a thunderous cheer and applause, which damn near shook the foundations of the Hokage Tower itself. The Genin at the top could only look on in awe as the whole village of Konoha celebrated the passing of the torch from Hiruzen to Mikoto, who was now officially given the title of leader of the hidden leaf. Overwhelmed by the downpour of support and praise, the children relished in the moment, and also applauded the kunoichi's assignment to the role of the village leader.

Despite being in the spotlight, Naruto and Tayuya were sure to give Sasuke a good thump in the arm and a solid, best friend congratulations to the boy. Though the raven haired genius attempted to hide it, he was unable to keep the big grin from his face as all the kids standing near him gave him their approval and admiration. Of course, it wasn't just the generational torch passing that was being celebrated.

For all of them, to be part of this moment, and to have graduated on this very day to become Genin of the hidden leaf, it was something grand and momentous for all of them. It was like a new stepping stone in their lives had been reached, where they would use it as a springboard to launch them to more great moments in the foreseeable future. Though none of the kids there knew what awaited them on the road ahead, they knew that it was going to be promising.

As the village continued to voice their approval of the inauguration of the new Hokage, the newly graduated Genin were all assembled into two separate rows, with Mikoto Uchiha standing in the middle. Together, with her son on her left, Naruto on her right, with Tayuya, Hinata, Kurumi, Sakura and all the other kids formed closely together, they all had a picture together with the newest village leader. The first couple of photos by the photographer were of course for posterity and photocopying, while the last couple involved Mikoto making funny faces and poses with the children, who all did something unique and memorable for the moment.

Once all the pictures, handshakes and wishes of good fortune were made at the top of the Hokage Tower, the children were then led back down to ground level. It soon occurred to all of them as they exited the central administration building that it was already drawing late into the afternoon, as the sun was now starting to set over the horizon. This told them that the final hours of the day had progressed even longer than they had expected, but was nevertheless a welcome sign.

When the children finally exited the building, they were all greeted by their parents at the front gates. The families that had turned out to witness the occasion all congratulated their children when they filed out of the capital building one after the other, with several of the kids quickly being led away to celebrate the day with a big feast and a night on the town. Obviously big arrangements had been made to commemorate this particular day, which was not lost on any of the kids as they hurried off to gush to their parents how easy or amazing their trials had been.

However, amidst all the clamor and delight, there were two particular youngsters who were discussing their own plans for the evening.

"So… where do you think we should go out to celebrate tonight?" Tayuya asked a cheerful looking Naruto as they marched through the crowd of parents and recently promoted Genin. "Wanna go hit up _Ichiraku's_ and have another shot at the _Super Mega Pork Pot Ramen Eating Challenge_? Or do you feel like some traditional, handmade Udon over at the _Sing-Sing Bar_ across from our street?"

"Hmm. Good pitches. I'm almost tempted to grab either one of them," Naruto responded, rubbing his chin as he gave the options a long moment of pause. After Tama and Tayuya waited for the delinquent to pick, the blond then snapped his fingers and stopped in his tracks. "A day like today requires something a little more special." He then turned to grin at his roommate. "I'm craving meat. Meat that is rare and practically screams when you cut into it."

Staring at him for a moment, the redhead snorted in amusement. "I… don't think there are any restaurants in this village that specialize in the catering and cooking of human flesh, Naruto-kun." She then looked away with a cheeky grin. "I mean, shit, I knew you had some weird and questionable tastes before, but cannibalism? Damn."

"N-… wh-? NO! No!" Naruto shouted while forming a big 'X' with his arms. "I didn't mean _people_ meat, Tayuya-chan! Geez! I said that I just feel like something with some extra bite in it. A gourmet delicacy that only one place in this village can provide. The place otherwise known as barbeque haven." He then brought his hand up and clenched it into a fist. "Yakiniku Q!"

Nodding a couple of times in understanding, the flute player then looked ahead of her. "Sounds like a plan." Looking around to see some of the parents and children already starting to leave, Tayuya then raised an eyebrow. "Think there will be any booths left when we get there? It looks like the village is in for one hell of a night."

"I'm sure we'll be able to find something available," Naruto chirped, before then puffing his chest out confidently and flicking his newly acquired headband. "After the streak I've had today, I'm feeling super lucky."

A couple seconds after he said this, the boy suddenly felt a pat on his shoulder, prompting him and Tayuya to turn around. They then got a bit of a surprise when they saw Sakura standing there, who jumped a little when the blond and his friend fixed their attention on her. Quickly slipping her hands behind her back, the pink haired girl then did her best to appear as friendly and pleasant as she possibly could.

"H-Hey, Naruto-kun," the young girl spoke, while brushing some of her long locks back over her shoulder.

"Oh. Hey, Sakura-chan. What's up?" the delinquent asked, turning to her with Tama swishing her tail back and forth happily at the sight of the youngster.

"Nothing much. Just… wanted to say you did really awesome in those exams," Sakura responded, doing her best to maintain her composure, as she could feel three sets of eyes burrowing into her. "What you did in that taijutsu test was super cool. I'd never seen anything like it before, at least not in person. You made it look so easy."

Naruto chuckled at the girl's compliments, at the same time scratching his head bashfully. "Well, it certainly wasn't. Hinata was one of the toughest opponents I'd ever fought. It took me forever to come up with the perfect counter to her clan's fighting style… and getting the timing right on her movements was quite a chore." He then laughed a little when he sensed Tayuya giving him a funny look at his attempts to be humble. "If I wasn't so good at taijutsu, she would've kicked my ass."

Giving a little laugh at the boy's jab at himself, Sakura then stepped towards the boy fondly. "Umm… you… wouldn't mind if I hung out with you tonight? My mum and dad said that I could go hang out with my friends if I didn't want to come home just yet, so…" She then swayed on the spot anxiously. "Would that be okay with you and Tayuya-san?"

Glancing at one another briefly, Tayuya then gave her blond companion a smile and glanced back at the pinkette. "I don't see why not. If we're going to be heading out to a restaurant to celebrate our class's graduation, the more the merrier I'd say."

Taking this as permission to move forward, Naruto turned back to Sakura. "Yeah. You can definitely come along." Seeing Sakura's face light up gleefully, the blond then placed his hands on his hips assertively. "If we're making this a group thing, then how about we grab a few more? It would be a pretty dull party if it was just the three of us…"

"Did you say you guys are going to a party?" A new voice suddenly spoke up from behind, prompting Naruto to spin around. In that moment, he, Tayuya and Sakura came face to face with the blonde's Uchiha fan club: the tall, gorgeous Kurumi, the green kimono wearing Yumi, and the jumper clad Mirai.

Realizing that Kurumi had spoken up, Naruto directed his attention to the taller girl, who rested her knuckles on her right hip. "If it's an open invite, then we would love to come along and celebrate with you guys."

"Yeah! Totally!" Mirai spoke up, at the same time giving a 'V' sign and a wink.

"Since our entire clan is going to be out and partying all night on the town, we want to have a chance to rock out with our friends and fellow graduates," Yumi added, swaying back and forth nervously as she did. "That is… if it's okay with him."

Naruto, feeling elated at attracting such a group so easily, grinned brightly. "Well… I haven't turned down anyone yet. You girls are more than welcome to come." His statement had Kurumi grin and Mirai give a hearty cheer.

Tayuya chuckled as she stared across at the extra additions. "Wow. Now we're really going to have a hard time finding a table at the restaurant." After all, with the trio's inclusion, this bumped their total up to six.

"Unless we know someone who can help get us in through the back door," Naruto murmured, rubbing his chin as he then scanned the crowd around them. A few moments later, his blue eyes then landed on a familiar pair standing side-by-side just a few feet away. His expression immediately flickered with success the instant he recognized them and pointed, "Like _that_ guy right there…"

OOO

(Later that evening)

Once the sun had set over the horizon, the village was in full celebration, as the streets were packed with party goers, the air was drowning in laughter and music, and the sky was filled with stars and fireworks. There was so much going on at this time that it wouldn't surprise anyone if any of the non-shinobi communities in the area would be able to see and hear them. Of course, nobody was worrying one bit. Thanks to the incredibly high defensive walls and extra defenses put into place in the lead up to this night, the people could relax and enjoy the festivities that their town had to offer.

However, the buzz and commotion did make it difficult for the authorities to put the hammer down on troublemakers within the village itself, or spot any unsavory characters conducting illegal business.

Outside of the downtown suburbs and entertainment boulevards packed with night goers, on one of the bridges crossing one of the few canals passing through _Konohagakure_ , a shady figure was standing and watching the water run beneath him. Sporting a purple shinobi uniform, dark gloves, sandals, with short silver hair held back by a hidden leaf headband and a pair of round glasses, the young man had been standing and leaning against the railing for some time. It was only when he heard a set of footsteps against the wooden bridge that life eventually kicked back into him, and he looked up with a smile.

"You're late, Mizuki," the young man spoke in an arrogant tone of voice.

Hands in his pockets, the Chunin academy instructor, sporting his usual uniform but with a Konoha bandana on his head, stopped in the middle of the causeway and frowned. "Sorry. I got held up at the academy. Had some extra paperwork I needed to file away." He then nodded towards the man in glasses. "What do you want, Kabuto?"

Turning his attention towards the sky above, where he saw a few extra fireworks go off, the young male chuckled. "Quite the party that's going on, wouldn't you agree? An Uchiha being promoted to the illustrious position of Hokage… and Mikoto Uchiha no less? Honestly, I never thought I would see the day."

Mizuki narrowed his eyes and replied sarcastically, "Yes. It's almost a miracle." He then removed a hand from his pocket to hang it at his side. "You didn't call this meeting just to have some idle chitchat under the stars, did you? Because if you did then I'll just consider this a waste of time and excuse myself."

"No. No. Of course not," Kabuto replied, turning around and leaning against the bar. "Let's not go jumping to extremes, Mizuki-kun. I was just trying to break the ice. That's all." The shinobi from Konoha then crossed his arms and grinned. "No. What I really called you out here for was for something far more important than some long-shot candidate being elected to Konoha's highest office. You know what I'm talking about. The relic once owned by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju?"

Facing the glasses-wearing shinobi again, the impatient Chunin sighed, "The Scroll of Seals… right?"

"Bingo," Kabuto remarked, at the same time nudging his glasses up his nose. "Orochimaru-sama is very interested in getting his hands on that artefact… and he would like _you_ to go retrieve it for him as a test of your continued loyalty and service to him. It's an easy enough job with very few guards or obstacles to cross. And with the village locked down in such a wild fiesta, you'll be able to sneak in and out of the Hokage's mansion without any trouble."

"If it's so easy then why don't _you_ do it?" Mizuki asked, crossing his arms to glare back at the young male.

"I have other orders," Kabuto explained, not even breaking his calm character as he smirked back at the man. "Yours on the other hand have some… additional requirements. Once you've gotten the _Scroll of Seals_ for our master, he wants you to meet up with him at his base in the western plains, just off of the border with _Kaze no Kuni_ (Land of Wind). He says he wants to continue on with the final stages of your Cursed Seal's completion."

"The Animal Seal?" Mizuki questioned, earning a nod from the young male that had the Chunin look down. "After the last couple of trials I've had, if my calculations are correct, then one more advancement would-"

"Would make you even stronger than Konoha's finest shinobi," Kabuto finished, bringing a grin to Mizuki's lips as the full realization of the experiment finally sunk in. "That is if you successfully manage to acquire the _Scroll of Seals_ … and if you don't die during the process." He said that last part under his breath, as that portion of his reply wasn't something the Chunin needed to hear.

Once the reaction had come full circle, Mizuki looked back at Kabuto with a smirk. "Is there anything else Orochimaru-sama wishes of me?"

"Yes. There is one more thing," Kabuto continued, ignoring the flashes of more fireworks overhead as he kept his gaze firmly fixed on his informant. "He also wants you to find and kill Sasuke Uchiha, and bring his body along with you." This order had the smile on Mizuki's face disappear. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem, will it?"

The white haired Chunin huffed. "No. Not at all. In fact… consider it done." Turning his back on the man, Mizuki then started to march off of the bridge, his eyes closing on the way down the slope. "Taking into account young Sasuke's current level of ability… I won't even need my Cursed Seal to destroy him. This will be child's play." He then disappeared into the dark, leaving Kabuto standing under the eerie light on the bridge.

As the sounds of celebrations and partying continued echoing in the distance, Kabuto's smile remained when he sensed a second figure appear behind him. Sensing them walk up the bridge and step into the edge of the light he was standing in, the grey haired spy and infiltrator then spoke. Heck, he didn't even have to turn to face the person to know who they were.

"How's the progress on cleaning up the rest of Danzo's hidden labs going?" Kabuto asked curiously.

His question earned a stern grunt from the man dressed in black, wearing a bird ANBU mask with an elongated beak, and with short spiky hair atop his head. "They've all been emptied out and scrubbed down from top to bottom, as per your master's request. It won't take long for my men to have all the research and information sealed up and dispatched to Orochimaru's headquarters in _Otogakure_."

The young man then glanced over his shoulder. "Did you manage to find any loose Sharingan lying around while you were at it?"

"No," the silver haired man replied gruffly, at the same time reaching up and removing his mask. When he did, he revealed the face of a middle aged man with big cheek bones, an old war scar running from over his right eye and down to his left chin, and a pair of red eyes with three black tomoe spinning in each one. This turned out to be none other than Tetsuo, who was the same Uchiha who spoke up about rebelling against Konoha back at the Uchiha Clan meeting four years ago. "Any Sharingan Danzo had in his possession were either lost or destroyed when he died… including the ones he had in cold storage."

Kabuto clicked his tongue and looked away in disappointment. "He probably rigged the embalming fluid containers to his body through seals, which would then activate the moment his body clock hit zero and combusted them. Honestly, getting rid of all those eyes… that's such a shame."

"As disgusting as that is, harvesting eyes of deceased Uchiha for his own personal gains, I can't help but praise the man for his organizational skills," Tetsuo Uchiha commented, not really appearing affected by all of this as he continued to speak with Kabuto in an even tempered voice. "Only someone who has had a great deal of experience and practice in the field of infiltration could possibly do what he did. But as shrewd and conniving as he was, the man was rotten to the core. Being one of the main people responsible for orchestrating the attempted massacre of my entire clan… he got what was coming to him."

"The Hokage still doesn't know anything about what happened to the old war hawk. To be honest neither do we… but Hiruzen Sarutobi and the council are still under the impression that Danzo is in hiding and living in isolation," Kabuto replied with a sly grin. "All thanks to our help, of course. Now, with over ninety percent of his organization and network wiped out, and with his few remaining subordinates reprogrammed to work for Orochimaru-sama, he's no longer going to be a problem for anyone." It was then Kabuto's eyes flashed wickedly. "But… there is one man who has yet to face justice for all the crimes he has committed. Someone I am sure you're intimately familiar with."

Tetsuo sneered angrily, "Itachi." Narrowing his eyes, the silver haired Uchiha then spoke. "Mikoto will never authorize a mission to hunt down her eldest son… and I wouldn't dare confront her or even think about proposing the idea to her. Not only is she as powerful as Madara, she'd rather go after Itachi herself and throw him in prison. But I'm not going to let that fly." The man's eyes then narrowed firmly. "The only reason I'm siding with you and your master is because Orochimaru promised me he'd find him for me… and in return I'd give him Itachi's corpse. I plan on going after that boy and killing him for what he did to my family." His Sharingan then flashed dangerously, before slowly morphing from the three tomoe pattern into a new pattern consisting of three overlapping black circles surrounding the pupil. "I swear on the lives of my wife Natsuki and my son Tatami."

"And I promise you will have your vengeance, Tetsuo-san," Kabuto replied, not even flinching at the sight of the man's Mangekyō Sharingan and simply smiling. "All in good time. But first, we have work to do."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Another chapter in. I was hoping to contain this arc to a single chapter, but with the characters and trials included I had to split it into two. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one.

Let me know what you think.

(P.S Still editting this chapter, so bare with me on any spelling and grammer mistakes)


	11. Graduation Arc - Monster and Demon

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Monster and Demon_

(Meanwhile)

It took a bit of time for the group to get from the _Hokage Tower_ all the way down to their chosen eatery in the center of the village. But after managing to make their way through the large crowd of excited parents and villagers with their friends in tow, Naruto, Tayuya and Tama finally made it to _Yakiniku Q_. With some help from Choji, whom they'd asked to come along on their celebratory endeavor to negotiate with the owners, the kids were able to hire out a private room in the restaurant for their party. Upon which they then ordered a buffet of food and drinks, as well as all the perks that came with them. The treats and delicacies soon started rolling in, and the moment their cutlets of meat started cooking over the hot plates, the festivities began.

And it wasn't like they were a small crowd of children either. Counting Sakura and the Uchiha trio that had tagged along, the group had also managed to Shanghai Choji, Shikamaru, Ino, Tenten- who had been waiting for Naruto outside the gate- Kiba, Shino, and even Sasuke along for the ride. This meant that their once minute party of five people had been bumped up to a get-together of thirteen.

Their little corner in the barbeque restaurant transformed into quite the fiesta of chatter and laughter as the children celebrated their success side-by-side. They ate, drank, ate some more, ordered desserts, and started making the most of their hired out room with some fun and games.

Tama was sitting beside Naruto while the blond was being flocked by Kurumi and Ino, both of whom were gabbing on about how great his bout was in the exams, while the delinquent praised the both of them for their respective performances and skills. He used his charms to the best of his abilities to win favor with them, which inevitably led to the girls getting rather cozy up next to him as he talked about one of his more harrowing hooligan exploits. All the while Tenten sat across the table from him, grinning in amusement over his somewhat embellished tales and how he was becoming so popular with his classmates.

"…after a long brawl, Yagura's gang wound up cornering me at the end of the alleyway and beating the ever-living crap out of me. The last thing I remember was falling over and watching his three remaining goons stomp on me before blacking out," Naruto recounted, taking another sip from his teacup while absently noting the girls listening intently to his story. "I would have spent the entire night on the floor if a passing ninja hadn't helped me out."

"W-What happened afterwards?" Kurumi asked, appearing quite worried at where this was going.

"I woke up in the hospital," Naruto said with a shrug. "The doctors said I was out for two whole days and that I had five busted ribs, a broken arm, a fractured leg, and a sunken eyeball. Heh. Probably one of the biggest ass-kickings I'd ever gotten in a street fight."

"As far as _you_ remember," Tenten commented from across the table. Her statement had Naruto throw her a funny look, which prompted the kunoichi to throw her arms out in a taken-aback gesture. "What? You've had your fair share of concussions and knockouts over the years. Odds are you're not going to have complete memories of all your encounters."

Naruto raised a hand and opened his mouth to protest. But after a moment of thinking it over dropped his arm. "True."

"Damn. That must have been a pretty scary episode for you," Ino whispered in amazement. "And painful." After hearing the dramatic details leading up to his eventual slip into unconsciousness, she was surprised the kid was still alive.

"Painful. Yes. Scary… not so much. I was more pissed off than anything else. They were just punks and ninja wannabees going out of their way to mess with me. I wasn't scared in the slightest."

The curly haired Kurumi tilted her head in interest. "Even when you were getting beaten into the ground?"

"Yep," Naruto said, at the same time exhaling and cracking a smile at the Uchiha girl. "After that, I swore that I would never let anybody else put me down… no matter who they were or how they did it. So that's why I train hard every single day, to make sure that I don't end up in that kind of corner again."

Looking over the boy's serious face from the side, a completely taken Ino then reached over and ran a finger over his eyebrow. "Is that how you got that scar over here?" She asked this while tentatively prodding the damaged area just below his brow, which had Naruto turn to her in surprise. "I've seen you walk into class a bunch of times with band aids and bruises, but I never noticed this wound before."

Tenten, being one of the only people Naruto had told this story, decided to keep her mouth shut over it and simply took another swig from her own drink.

The blond rebel on the other hand laughed as he reached up to touch the scar himself. "That one I actually got quite recently. I…" he paused momentarily, "got into a bit of a scuffle with a kid visiting from another village. They had a long spear and knew how to use it very well."

Kurumi smiled at him, "They must've been really strong to leave a mark like that on you."

"Oh yeah. No kidding." Naruto then looked at the Uchiha kunoichi and grinned dashingly at her. "Be honest with me… does it look bad?"

Blushing a little bit at his boyish smile, the tall, curly haired girl shook her head. "No. Not really."

"I think it looks really cool," Ino chirped, drawing Naruto's gaze and smiling fondly in his direction. "Like… more of a warrior."

"Heh. Thanks."

As Naruto shook off the bashfulness from the girls' compliments and continued chatting with them, asking them about their families and interests, a little further down the table Tayuya and Shikamaru were engaged in a little jaunt of their own. Sitting across from one another, with empty plates and cans of juice cluttering the area, the two kids were staring down at a Shogi board, which the restaurant had kindly lent to them. While the redheaded delinquent was glaring at the pieces arranged into differing formations across the square, the bone idle Nara was staring at it in his usual lazy manner.

Having been locked in standoff for the last fifteen minutes, the pair's duel was quietly being overseen by a curious Sakura, Mirai and Shino, all of whom were either kneeling or standing around them.

"Hmph…" Tayuya finally huffed after a full minute of nothing, before eventually pushing a silver general forward.

Eyes skimming over the arrangement, the half-asleep Shikamaru then picked up his own piece and placed it between Tayuya's squad, putting her forces into a pincer maneuver. This immediately had the flute player's jaw drop and the people watching from the sidelines hiss.

"Ouch," the brown haired Uchiha girl remarked.

"You're in trouble," the impassive Shino also stated.

Eye twitching, Tayuya snapped up at the boy in the black sunglasses. "I know, damn it! You don't need to point that out!" She then crossed her arms and glared back down at the board, looking quite miffed. "I've played this game with him Kami knows how many times and I still haven't been able to beat him. Honestly, it's getting annoying."

Shikamaru used that chance to throw a smirk at the girl. "Do you want some help?"

"No! I don't need any of your smug, derogatory, General Takemoto bullshit!" Tayuya replied, while focusing on her side stubbornly. "I can do this on my own!" Scanning it again though, everyone could tell she was inadvertently being harried into a corner.

The pineapple haired boy then shrugged and looked back down at his side smugly. "Suit yourself. But if you don't get out of this jam in the next five moves, it's game over."

After drumming a finger against her bicep for a few seconds while strongly considering her options, Tayuya then narrowed her eyes and glared up at the sloth. "Fine. Mind giving a sister some pointers over here?"

Shikamaru nodded to her side. "I'll throw you some hints while we play. It's your move." He then watched the kunoichi glance back down and, after checking out her front lines, started reaching for one of her pieces on the right. "No," the Nara said, noticing her hand going for the bishop. Watching it jerk back, he then saw the Genin go for the rook. "No." What followed was Tayuya's hand moving slowly and thoughtfully between her remaining pieces, with Shikamaru abruptly stating over and over, "no… no… no." Through it all, his smile actually widened in amusement when he saw how frustrated Tayuya was rapidly becoming. "No… no."

"JUST TELL ME WHICH FUCKING PIECE TO MOVE!" the redhead finally snapped at her opponent.

A still calm Shikamaru then nodded to the center of the board. "The gold general."

After seeing Tayuya move the piece as instructed, the pink haired Sakura smiled to herself. _"You know what… this is turning out to be a lot more fun than I originally thought."_ She had to stop herself from laughing when she saw Tayuya grit her teeth when Shikamaru made another irritating move.

Just as Tayuya and Shikamaru's slugfest was in the process of developing, a sudden loud cheer from two people nearby had everyone in the room look to the other end of the table in surprise. It was there, at the very last section, the entire room saw Kiba, Sasuke and Yumi Uchiha sitting on one side and staring across at Choji, who was picking up tempura prawns from a large bowl and putting them all into his mouth. However, contrary to normal eating habits, instead of devouring them like he normally would, the Akimichi was actually balancing them on his jaw, expertly wedging the crumbed food items between his lips in what could only be described as a World Record attempt.

Judging from the enthusiastic looks on the observing trio's faces, they were obviously rooting for the boy to succeed.

"Come on, buddy!" Kiba laugh-shouted with a wide, canine grin on his excited face. "One more tempura finger and the crown is yours!" His shout was matched by an enthusiastic bark from his pal Akamaru, who was sitting on his lap and watching the performance too.

His mouth crammed to the brim with over a dozen prawn tails sticking out, the orange haired boy grinned. "Oouu-kfay!" (Okay) he shouted confidently, before then taking another tempura crustacean and preparing to push it in with the rest.

Yumi was practically hanging off of the edge of the table as she observed Choji begin clumsily prodding the bunch of prawns with the last one. "He's not going to do it! There's too many! It won't fit!"

"Of course it will fit," Sasuke said determinedly, narrowing his eyes as a nervous bead of sweat ran down his face. "It has to."

The entire room of children then simultaneously held their breaths as they watched Choji tentatively fumble with the prawn, struggling a little bit to cram it in with the rest of its brethren. However, after several seconds of tense silence, the newly graduated Genin saw the boy finally push it in with the others, which ended with a loud cheer from every single child present, even Sasuke. With the Akimichi raising his fists victoriously, the boy then gave a high-five to Kiba, before crunching down on all the prawns in his mouth, cutting off the tails and swallowing the rest in one go.

"WOO! CHOJI! MY MAN!" Kiba bellowed, raising the boy's fist high and standing up with him, as if presenting a newly crowned boxing champion in the middle of the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the King of the Culinary World! The devourer of all that is put forth on his plate! CHOJI AKIMICHI!"

Brushing off the bread crumbs from his lips while the boys and girls whistled and applauded, the orange-haired youngster kept his hand raised in a grandiose manner, even after Kiba relinquished it. "Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. You're all too kind."

After giving Choji the praise he deserved for such an otherworldly accomplishment, a loud chime of a glass being tapped filled the room, which silenced everyone and drew their attention down to where Naruto was sitting. Discovering that it was Ino that'd made the effort to ring the bell, the Yamanaka then stood up with her glass of juice in hand and waved to everyone she could see sitting around the dining area.

"Hello, everyone," the girl began somewhat nervously, "For all of you who don't know me, my name is Ino-"

"We all know it's you, Ino," Shikamaru interjected from his own seat across from Tayuya, with the brown haired youngster leaning on his hand with a lazy, yet smug smile on his face. "Next to Naruto and Tayuya, you're the third loudest person in the class."

A tick mark instantly formed on the blonde's head when she heard his remark. "SHUT IT, SHIKAMARU! UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR SKULL TURNED INSIDE-OUT!" Ino barked, earning a series of laughs from the rest of the kids, with Naruto looking particularly impressed by her threat. Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, the kunoichi returned to her usual, cheerful disposition and threw a grin towards her cohorts. "Anyway… I'd just like to take this time to say that… it's been a long couple of months and an even longer couple of years. But after countless hours of studying, working our fingers to the bone, and exhausting our bodies through endless practice and training, we all finally did what we set out to do, and have finally become ninja of _Konohagakure_. I'm sure our mums and dads are very proud of us."

" _ **Here, here!"**_ Kiba, Mirai, Tayuya and a handful of others responded, accompanied by a series of whistles.

"That being said, I look forward to working with all of you in the future and that when we are put into our teams tomorrow, I'm hoping that we are all paired up with the people we know and trust the most," Ino informed, before then turning to the ones closest to her at the table. "And to Naruto and Tayuya. Though I didn't get to know you two as well as I would've liked to- and I intend to make up for that lost time in the future- I'd really like to thank you for inviting us all out to celebrate with you at the _Yakiniku Q_ restaurant." This earned smiles of approval from the pair in question and a cheer of agreement from the other kids. "When Iruka-sensei announces who we're going to end up working with, I sure hope that I get put onto a squad with one of you, since I know how strong you guys are." Her eyes then turned to Naruto, filled with intent. "Well… one of you in particular. But that's just me being optimistic-"

Rolling his eyes, Kiba then called across the room. "You're ruining the speech, Ino! Just end it already!"

"Grr! I was about to!" the blond growled back in annoyance. After everyone was done laughing following the kunoichi's embarrassed and incredibly flustered outburst, the crew of youngsters returned to their activities.

While Naruto, Ino and Kurumi continued to flirt with each other- with Tenten making amused comments from the sidelines- Tayuya went off to order some more drinks, and Shikamaru went head to head with Sakura in an incredibly intense game of shogi. During which time Kiba entertained Yumi and the others by getting Akamaru to perform some party tricks for them, such as walking on his hind legs, high-fiving on command, performing a dance from his clan's training routines, and showing off his friend's beast/human clone technique.

It was then, as the party was picking up speed, Mirai proposed another game for her friends to partake in, by means of getting Choji to take on his shirt and slap on a sumo loincloth over his shorts.

"So… which one of you boys is game enough to take on the Culinary King in a battle to the death?" the Uchiha female asked to the crowd excitedly while holding her hands out towards the Akimichi, who stomped his feet and slapped his face in a very warrior-like manner. "Who is brave enough to step up to the plate and fight for the title of this year's strongest champion?!"

Seizing the moment, Tayuya crawled over to Sasuke and slapped her hands on his shoulders from behind. "I have a challenger right here, Mirai!" she said while pointing down at the academy prodigy.

Balking in surprise when he saw everyone turn to look at him, the raven haired Uchiha then glared over his shoulder at the flute player holding onto him. "What? What are you talking about? I didn't challenge anyone!"

As an observing Naruto, Tenten, Kiba and Kurumi snickered, Tayuya leered at the son of the new Hokage and spoke. "Aww… what's the matter, Sasuke-tan? You chicken?" She then began imitating the sounds of the avian, at the same time pressing her hands under her arms and flapping her elbows like wings. "Bock-bock-bock! Chicken! Bock-bock!"

Under the continued mockery of the redhead and the shouts of encouragement from the rest of the people in the room, Sasuke resisted as best as he could. When they persisted, the boy then gave a growl of finality, before eventually leaping to his feet and shouting. "Fine! I'll do it" Receiving a cheer of triumph from Tayuya, the Genin then removed his shirt, at the same time Mirai ran over and put the other loincloth over his shorts.

Once both boys had been properly dressed, with Sasuke looking especially embarrassed, the brown haired Uchiha kunoichi pulled out two fans, opened them, and held them out to the two graduates standing on opposite sides of the room in the space provided. From there, Naruto, Ino, Shino, and everybody else proceeded to watch as Sasuke and Choji assumed sumo wrestling stances and fixed one another with matching glares.

As the intensity in the atmosphere grew, Tenten leaned over and whispered to her blond delinquent friend at the table. "Five ryo says Sasuke wins."

The young Uzumaki grinned and whispered back, "You're on."

"Alright! Challengers, are you ready?!" Mirai asked chirpily.

" _ **YOSH!"**_ both boys replied in sync.

"Aaand… FIGHT!" A collective cheer then went up amongst the partygoers as Choji and Sasuke charged and slammed chest first into each other. From there the two then grabbed the other's loin cloth and began to push, simultaneous snarls leaving their lips as they circled the tatami floor, attempting to overpower the other. Their feet grinding into the mats, the pair were soon locked in a heated standoff.

All the while the crowd of Genin next to them cheered and whistled, urging both boys to give it their all. Naruto, Tayuya, Kiba, Ino and Kurumi meanwhile couldn't help but laugh their asses off, with the blond delinquent being the most vocal and supportive in this role as he raised his fist in a yell.

"Woo! This is awesome!" Tayuya cried out in joy while cupping her hands over her mouth. "Doskoi baby!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Ino egged on.

"Kick his ass, Choji!" the would-be jinchuriki exclaimed, with Tama yipping loudly in encouragement.

When the audience watched Sasuke and Choji topple over each other, leading to Mirai declaring a tie between the two, a laughing Sakura then chanced a glance across at Naruto. When she saw the blond was also laughing heartily, giving a toast to the battling duo's loss, the pinkette regarded him fondly for the longest of minutes, before she was soon drawn back to the other side of the room when the class prodigy and his Akimichi opponent reset themselves for another round.

So caught up in the moment to notice anything, Naruto, thanking Ino when she poured him another glass of tea, threw the girls and the people around him a warm look. Watching them laugh, play, and cheer with each other, the delinquent couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and happiness swell inside his chest. Even with everything that has happened today, his morning training, the exams, and even the _Hokage Inauguration_ ceremony, the only thing he could think of at that moment, was…

" _So this is what hanging out with a group of friends feels like?"_ he said to himself as he heard Kurumi and Ino giggle brightly.

It was great.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Across the village and past the festivities taking place in the entertainment district, the area surrounding the _Hokage's Mansion_ was peaceful and quiet. Despite the streets being jam-packed with civilians and shinobi going out to party with their friends, this part of the suburbs remained dark and devoid of life, with the lights on the streets being the only tangible presences worth noting.

Since the highest office in the village was in the process of a major turnover, the usual occupants of the building, namely Hiruzen Sarutobi and his bodyguards, had all given themselves a day off for a night on the town. The Third had actually booked out a small venue at a five star restaurant in the main boulevard, with Mikoto Uchiha and several of her close friends and family being the main guests of honor. It being such a big occasion, it was clear that they would be out for quite a while, meaning that most of the administration area was completely deserted.

The conditions of course presented the perfect opportunity for one particular individual to sneak into the vicinity unnoticed. Stealthily making his way across the Hokage estate, at the same time avoiding the lights shining on the streets and the random candle lights in the main garden, a shadowy figure darted towards the main building. Hiking up the wall in the form of a blur, the man of small stature managed to jimmy open a window and clamber into the property.

Quickly making his way through the darkened hallways soon led the intruder to the Hokage's private office. Completely ignoring the multiple books, scrolls and personal correspondence lining the walls, the figure stopped next to the elder's desk, where several massive scrolls were propped up against the wall. Skimming over them, the figure soon found the one he was looking for, with its name _**Fuin no Sho**_ (Scroll of Seals) inscribed in an enlarged text across its tag.

Upon identifying the item, the figure grabbed it and ripped it from the shelf, before then dashing out of the room. Returning to his point of entrance, the figure then prepared to jump out, only to suddenly have his entire body lit up by a light from the end of the corridor.

"Who's there?!" the voice of a Chunin suddenly shouted down the hall, who then stopped when he spotted a boy with blond spiky hair, wearing a white jacket with blue flame patterns, and the _Konoha_ headband looking back at him from his position halfway out the window several feet away. Blinking in surprise, the ninja with the eyepatch recoiled in shock when he recognized the twelve-year-old intruder. "Wait. Y-You're… that delinquent brat!"

Grinning wickedly, the child identified as Naruto Uzumaki suddenly hocked a set of shuriken towards the Chunin guard, causing the man to hastily drop his lantern and dive out of the way. The moment he dodged the hail of metal projectiles, getting clipped in the arm and the leg by two, which caused him to let out a shout of pain, the young robber used that moment to jump out the window and disappear into the night.

Gritting his teeth while grabbing the gash in his shoulder, the shinobi Iwana gave a low growl and quickly stood up, only to stumble forward and grip his leg where he'd also been slashed. "This isn't good. I have to inform Hokage-sama."

OOO

(Sometime later)

When the group party in _Yakiniku Q_ started petering out an hour or so later, the children then went about excusing themselves one after the other. Considering how hard they'd been partying after such a long and exhausting day, many of the kids were bushed and wanted to get home for some rest. However, this didn't mean that the last few hours of their night hadn't been a blast, which was evident by the mess they left behind and the smiles they had on their faces when they exited the establishment. Those who headed out early made sure to thank Naruto and Tayuya for inviting them to their gathering, before leaving the venue for their respective clan compounds. It soon got to the point where the only ones left in the private room were Tayuya, Sasuke, Tenten, Naruto, Kurumi and Sakura.

After sharing one last conversation with one another over bowls of ice cream, the children also vacated the joint and headed further into town. From there they walked around for a little while longer, checking out all the late night stalls and attractions put on for the inauguration, before deciding to split.

While Tayuya stuck around at a darts stand to try and win a bet against Tenten and Sasuke to see how many prizes they could win, Naruto escorted Sakura and Kurumi home at their request. Having had such a good time and wanting to thank them personally for coming out with him for the night, he just couldn't say no.

Walking side by side out of the densely populated boulevard on the main road, the trio came across a T-junction. Stopping at it, the tall, curly haired Kurumi turned and smiled across at Naruto, whom she saw was smiling back at her with his hands in his pockets and Tama on his shoulder.

"Well," the Uchiha girl said while slipping her hands behind her shyly and rocking on the spot. "This is where I get off. Thanks for letting me come to your party, Naruto-kun."

"It was my pleasure, Kurumi-chan," the 'jinchuriki' replied with a bow. "I hope you had a great time." His remark was followed up by a cheerful yip from Tama and a smile from the patiently waiting Sakura.

"I did… and so did Mirai and Yumi," the tall girl answered without hesitation. After brushing some strands of hair behind her ear nervously, the young Uchiha girl then beamed and nodded to the boy. "I'll… see you tomorrow at the academy for team allocations. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll end up being put on a squad with you."

Naruto grinned and held up a hand, "Fingers crossed." After seeing the girl blush and giggle, the boy then transformed his hopeful gesture into a wave. "Night Kurumi."

"Good night," the girl whispered, at the same time sharing a friendly wave with Sakura. Upon which the kunoichi headed down the brightly lit road all the way back to the Uchiha Clan compound, where fireworks and rides could be seen glowing just a few blocks away.

Watching the girl vanish down the road, Naruto and his last party guest then turned and headed down the other road leading from the junction. Making their way into the suburban areas outside of the restaurant and shopping districts, the pair carried on walking and talking, while at the same time closing in on Sakura's place. Finding themselves in familiar territory, the pair used that opportunity to soak in their surroundings, and also catch up on all the stuff that had happened over the last several hours.

"The exams today were pretty intense, huh?" Sakura asked as she and Naruto ventured up the steps leading into the local playground.

"Yeah. Definitely," the delinquent replied immediately, his expression showcasing a smile of relief. "Probably the hardest tests we had to do all year. The teachers were really doing their best to push us to our limits. Good thing we studied as hard as we did, otherwise there was no way we would've been able to make it through."

"You can say that again," the pinkette sighed. When they arrived at the top, the girl then saw Naruto stop and stepped around him curiously. "Do you think the jobs they're going to send us on will be as tough as those tests?"

"Well… I don't know much about the stuff that goes on in the real world. I've lived in _Konoha_ my entire life and have only been outside of it once," Naruto began, looking at the girl as she stood in front of him with her hands slipped innocently behind her back. "But I think I've seen enough to know that the rules and expectations we had in those tests don't really apply out there… at least not all of them. Everything beyond our walls, including the _Land of Fire's_ countryside, is completely wild, unknown territory for us, where you have no idea who or what is waiting for you around the next bend. That's pretty much how life is, really."

This information had Sakura look down and stare apprehensively at her feet. "Man… if that's the case, then maybe I don't want to become a real ninja. I mean, I'm confident enough in my skills to carry me through whatever may come my way. But when push comes to shove and we're suddenly thrown into a really dangerous, super important mission, will I be able to pull my own weight?"

"Hey. Don't worry about it so much," Naruto said, drawing the girl's gaze back up to him. "We've all prepared to face the world in our own ways. If we stick to what we know and use what we've learnt over the last few years, I know all of us will do just fine." He then gestured to the girl observantly. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Sakura-chan. You're the smartest, most observant girl in our year level. Not only that, you completed all the challenges and performed all the techniques at a super high standard. Heck, I couldn't even do the damn _Bunshin no Jutsu_ and I still managed to pass."

Blushing a little at the boy's compliments, the pinkette then rocked back and forth on her heels. "Yeah. But I'm not like you, Tayuya, Hinata or Sasuke. If I was to be put up against any of you four in a fight, there's no way I could ever hope to win. Your skills and strength are so much farther above my own that it's not even funny. Especially your taijutsu." The girl then brought her hands around and, after throwing a couple of punches, looked at her arms disappointedly. "My hand to hand skills are complete garbage. Even against an opponent like Reina, I was struggling to do anything."

Analyzing the girl for a moment, Naruto then tilted his head and smiled. "Would you like me to show you a few moves?"

Sakura's eyes snapped back to the rogue in surprise. When she saw the gentle, reassuring look he was giving her, she beamed warmly. "S-Sure."

Ambling forward under the flashes of more fireworks going off overhead and allowing Tama to hop off his shoulder to sit nearby, Naruto then stood directly in front of the girl with his hands at his sides and his game face on. "Take your stance." Seeing the girl do as instructed, dropping into a wide stance with her hands at her sides, the boy then nodded to her. "Now… try and hit me. I want to see what you've got."

At first appearing hesitant, Sakura then clenched her right fist and lunged forward. With a yell she chucked a straight punch right at the boy's head, only to watch her opponent effortlessly slip around it, parry her arm, and shove both hands into her from the outside, knocking her stumbling across the playground. Yelping, Sakura quickly regained her footing and came back in with a big left hook. When he blocked it she then followed up with an uppercut, only to see him dodge it and tap her lightly in the face with his right fist. In response the girl answered his counter with a flurry of swift punches, which came to an abrupt finish seconds later when Naruto thrust his palm into her chest and shoved her back.

Skidding to a stop, an alarmed Sakura attempted to retaliate with another swing, only to hit the brakes when she unexpectedly saw the bottom of Naruto's foot shoot up and stop directly in front of her face.

Having halted his teep just an inch short of its mark, Naruto smiled and spoke to the frozen girl warmly. "Don't just dash in wildly from the front. If you try to do that out on the field you'll wind up running into your opponent's line of fire. Maneuver around and attack them from the side."

Clenching her jaw, Sakura waited for the blond to drop his leg before following up with a swift right flick kick towards his head. When he slipped back to dodge it, she then circled him and followed up with another combination of katas.

Blocking them while backing away, Naruto suddenly caught her right straight and thrust his foot towards her back leg, causing her to fall forward and into his arms, which he swiftly locked around her body. "Avoid putting too much weight behind your forward leg. You're more susceptible to counters and trips." When he released her, he observed Sakura throw another hook, which he avoided, followed by a knee. Elbowing her leg down when it flew up, he then caught her fist when she came in with an overhand and, wrapping his arms around her limb, locked her up a second time. "Good recovery. But try not to use such big attacks. Keep them short, sharp and fluid for better effect."

Being released a split second later allowed Sakura time to rethink her steps, with the pinkette darting around her opponent and throwing a few more punches. When she finished with a side kick towards his face, instead of hitting Naruto like she expected, she saw the blond catch her leg, step in, and sweep her foot out from under her. The kunoichi gave a cry of fright when she was effectively dropped to the floor like a sack of flour, only to stop just a foot above the ground when Naruto caught her. Holding her by the arm and leg, with his foot placed directly under her spine to cushion her weight, the delinquent chuckled when Sakura blinked up at him.

"Not bad. That was a great effort," Naruto remarked. When the kunoichi's face blushed brightly from his comment, proximity, and their awkward positioning, the boy promptly hoisted her back to her feet. Giving her a quick twirl that had Sakura feel like she was walking on air, the blond slipped a hand into his pocket and smiled across at his stunned classmate. "You have a solid grasp of all your techniques and terrific flexibility. But your fighting style is still very basic. Not to mention your movements are incredibly disjointed. If you want to be able to fight more efficiently in battle, you have to be relaxed, focused, and a little more spontaneous."

Sakura blinked as she continued to gape in awe at the delinquent. "Uh-huh."

Naruto then rubbed his chin as he looked at the girl thoughtfully for a moment, before bringing his leg around to nudge at her shin. "Your body has very natural, soft muscles, and a good build. That tells me you have the potential to become a great, hard hitting fighter one day. But since you haven't been training yourself that much, you lack the necessary power and stamina to be a strong taijutsu user. Even though you have speed and determination, they don't count for much when your foundations are so small." The blond then slipped his other hand into his pocket and beamed at the girl. "I recommend you start doing heavy weight lifting and chakra control exercises on your limbs and core. That way you'll be able to strengthen your body and tune it up to a much more appropriate level. I also think you should change your style to _**Sanshou**_ rather than _**Kenpo**_ … something that can take advantage of your agility and reflexes."

Staring at the boy for a moment and processing his assessment, Sakura remained silent for quite some time. After several seconds had passed of nothing but staring and thinking, the kunoichi swallowed and, clenching her fists nervously, stepped towards the boy. "D-Do you think… I mean… would it be possible if you could teach me some more about fighting, Naruto-kun?" the girl asked, her face heating up slightly when she saw the youngster give her a surprised look in return. "I… I want to be able to do well out there in the real world. Since you're so strong and know so much about martial arts, I think it would be great to learn from someone who really knows what they're doing." Her expression then brightened as she straightened up in front of the delinquent. "I would love to receive tutelage from you. It would be a real honor."

Her words striking him in the chest with some significance, the blond youngster then cracked a warm smile and nodded. "Yeah. I can teach you, Sakura-chan. No problem." When he saw the pinkette's expression brighten, the boy propped his hands on his hips and grinned. "Just pop by my place early in the morning around five o'clock the next time you're free and I can get you started on your first lesson."

Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

With that said, the boy then approached the girl and offered her a hand. "In the meantime, I can show you something you can practice while you're at home." When the girl shyly accepted his gesture, Naruto quietly led her over to a climbing post with lengths of wood sticking out of it. Positioning Sakura in front of it, he then moved behind her and gently lifted her arms to her chest, and then out in front. Completely missing the flash of red that filled the girl's cheeks when the boy pressed his chest into her back, he then set her into a comfortable, standing stance. "You can use a standing post or a coat rack for the same training. Simply start by rolling your hands between and around the branches towards the base like the arms of an opponent. Concentrate on targeting the limbs and center simultaneously, while avoiding your target's 'punches'."

"O-Okay," Sakura stuttered, feeling Naruto take her limbs and guide them towards the post's trunk, hitting them softly yet firmly with her palms. She continued to hear him coach her as he guided her through a series of strikes.

"Make sure your movements are smooth, strong, but above all consistent. Attack while defending and make every single one of your blows count," Naruto informed, leading her through a few more movements from behind, before releasing her wrists and allowing her to perform them herself. "Use minimal shoulder and hip rotations to maintain your balance."

Sakura, still feeling a little hot under the collar, heard the boy's instructions loud and clear. She then nodded in understanding, "Right."

Watching her go through the motions closely, while at the same time hearing the thumps of her following blows impact against the climbing pillar, Naruto grinned triumphantly as he saw the girl adapting to the combination almost instantly. "That's it. You got it." Heck, he didn't even need to correct her on any of her positionings. She did them all by herself.

Finishing with a sliding strike towards the climbing pillar, Sakura turned around with a happy grin and a twinkle in her eyes. But just before she could thank Naruto for showing her this, she then stopped when she noticed someone standing directly behind him. Sensing the figure as well, the delinquent wheeled about and quickly spotted Hinata standing a few feet away from him with her hands in her pockets.

Appearing cold and standoffish as usual, the girl glared at the pair for several seconds in silence, eyes darting between Naruto and the surprised looking pinkette next to him. When she saw the blonde's white fox scamper up his body to perch on his shoulder, the dark haired girl spoke. "G-Good evening…"

Blinking, Naruto weakly raised a hand and waved back. "Good evening to you too, Hinata-chan. What's up?"

"I… I was just wandering around the area when I noticed the two of you walking down the main road together, so I decided to follow you to see what you were up to," the newly promoted Genin answered.

"Ah. Well," Naruto began while gesturing towards Sakura. "As you can see, I was just showing my friend Sakura-chan here some basic taijutsu techniques. Nothing big or fancy, but enough to get her started onto more effective material."

"I see," Hinata murmured, giving an understanding nod before looking across at her fellow female classmate. After looking between her and the delinquent a couple more times suspiciously, the Hyuuga heiress turned away for a moment of silent meditation. After which the girl lifted her head and spoke without looking back at them. "Tell me the truth. During the taijutsu portion of the exam… you were holding back against me, weren't you?" Her question had Naruto perk up and look at her in surprise. "With the amount of power I've seen you use in the past, I know for a fact you could've beaten me a lot faster than you did."

Processing this for a moment, Naruto then sighed in resignation. "Yeah." He gave the girl a shrug. "I'll be honest... I wasn't using a hundred percent of my strength against you. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a hard time in that fight. I had to take you on a lot more carefully than I had to with anybody else I'd ever faced before. If you got me even once with a clean shot, then I would've been in serious trouble… and that's saying a lot." When he saw Hinata glance across at him, the blond smirked and placed his hands on his hips. "And since we're on the topic of truth… you weren't going all out against me either? I know this because your regular fighting style is a lot more vicious and passionate than the one you used."

Balking a little gave way to Hinata's cheeks reddening slightly at his comment, before the girl looked away with a nervous smile. "T-True." Sticking her nose in the air, she then started speaking in a more haughty tone. "Since I come from a household of the finest and most noble shinobi in the country, I knew I had to present myself accordingly and in a fashion befitting my vessel. To act aggressively or distastefully in any way during an assessment designed to test academy students would only leave a stain on my family's reputation."

Naruto chuckled at the girl's answer. "I hear yah. Still though, I really liked what you had to show me out there. Good stuff."

Feeling herself stiffen up, Hinata glanced back at the delinquent. Unable to meet his gaze due to the embarrassment and clamminess overtaking her, the kunoichi cleared her throat and forced a warm smile. "Th-Thank you. Your compliments are g-greatly appreciated." Taking a deep breath to compose herself, the girl then turned and marched towards the pair, upon which she stopped and snapped her attention toward Sakura. "On the note of conversation… I have something that I wish to say to _you_."

Jumping slightly, Sakura did a quick look about before then pointing at her chest. "M-Me?"

"Yes. You." Hinata's expression quickly reverted to a scowl as she propped her hands on her hips and glared fiercely at the pinkette. "I'm not sure if I like seeing you getting so chummy with Naruto-kun. He's too magnanimous and respectable a man to be trading small talk with the village rabble, and not to mention too busy to allocate any amount of time to spend with the likes of you." She then waved her away. "Why don't you go bother somebody else with your personal problems?"

Immediately taking offense to this, Sakura's face then hardened as she stomped forward. Passing Naruto, she then stood tall before the girl of equal height and puffed her chest out at her. "Hey. I may not come from some hotshot clan like yours, Ino's or Sasuke-san's, but I don't appreciate being looked down on, especially since I've been nothing but nice to everyone in our class. So lay off." She then gestured towards the blond next to them. "And I wasn't getting chummy with Naruto-kun at all. He was just walking me home before we decided to pull over here for a bit of a breather. That's all."

Hinata scoffed while glaring back at the kunoichi. "That didn't look like it from where I was standing." She then narrowed her white eyes on the girl. "You were getting awfully close and cozy in his arms when he was 'showing you' some proper fighting techniques… and you didn't object to his proximity in any way. He was practically breathing down your neck while he was doing it. If you want my honest opinion, I think you're making yourself way too easy."

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked in a shocked tone.

"As a newly christened kunoichi of _Konohagakure_ , I figured you would have a little bit more self-respect and dignity as a person. But instead you're presenting yourself in a manner more befitting of a lowly woodland mammal."

"Uh… girls…" Naruto attempted to speak up while nervously raising a hand, only to be silenced when Sakura ignored his murmur in favor of getting her face right up in front of Hinata's.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sakura asked heatedly, her own temper starting to fume at the tone the Hyuuga was using with her, who didn't seem intimidated by her proximity in the slightest. "I've had and expressed nothing but the highest respect and admiration for both you and Naruto-kun. Yet here you are suddenly insulting my pride and honor as a ninja. Did I do something to offend you somewhere down the line… or is me spending time with Naruto-kun making you uncomfortable in any way?"

"Hardly. I simply despise the idea of weaklings trying to worm their way into favorable positions with a person of such kind and decent bearing, in a move that would only benefit them and no one else. A selfish individual masking their true intentions through ignorance and self-pity is the kind of character that I hate most in the world." Hinata's expression darkened as her face then came within an inch of Sakura's, whom she could tell was getting even angrier by the second. "That includes you."

Sakura growled. "You know, for someone who claims they come from the noblest and most upright clan in the village, you certainly have quite a foul mouth on you."

"Speaking the truth doesn't equate to rudeness, Sakura-san."

"No. But it does make you more of a dick."

"I advise you to watch your tone… or do you wish to trade pleasantries with me in a more physical manner?"

"You want to go down that road? Fine. I may not be as good at fighting as you are, but I can still knock you on your pale white ass if you keep pushing me." Sakura then clenched her fists while getting up on her toes. "Go ahead. Throw a punch. I dare you."

As Hinata and Sakura's bickering started to escalate to a much more volatile level, a nervously observing Naruto attempted to find a moment to interject and peacefully resolve the situation. But as their voices got louder and their aggression grew, the blond wisely chose to withdraw from the feud and simply took to standing on the sidelines.

When another minute passed and the two girls continued jabbing it out with words only, the delinquent figured that a physical confrontation wouldn't actually start up between them. Not only would it get them both in trouble, but it seemed like neither one of the two Genin wanted to be the one to throw the first punch, especially since _he_ was watching. This inevitably led to Naruto just standing there in the awkward position as being the subject of their exchange and misgivings.

" _This is very new to me,"_ the boy thought as his eyes darted between the growling Hinata and Sakura. _"Seriously, what do I do here?"_

He'd never had two girls fighting over him before. So yes… this was very new.

"Why are you being such a bitch?" Sakura asked in a pissed off voice.

"No. Why are _you_ being such a bitch?" Hinata shot back, gritting her teeth irritably at the girl's impertinence.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Strolling down the street looking incredibly miserable, Tayuya glanced across at Tenten to see the girl carrying a large stuffed panda under her arm with a one thousand megawatt smile on her face. Hearing the Genin was also humming a happy tune above all the excitement and laughter going on in the populated boulevard around them didn't exactly help make the flute player feel any better, whose envy only seemed to grow at every note the girl sung.

"I just don't see how you were able to hit all those targets in a row, dead-on, while your back was turned... _and_ you were standing on the other side of the damn street," Tayuya grumbled, drawing the older kunoichi's attention towards her. "It just doesn't seem physically possible… or fair."

"Hey. You're looking at a kunoichi who's aiming to become the best shuriken user in the entire village and possibly the damn country, with a name as big as Tsunade of the Sannin's," Tenten replied while brushing her knuckles against her top and blowing on them conceitedly. "The mistake you made was you and Sasuke making that bet against me in the first place."

"Yeah. And now I'm out fifty-five ryo… all of which could've gone towards a few more games out here on the main strip," the redhead replied, before then looking across at the Uchiha walking next to her, who she knew was appearing just as aggravated as she was. "And you? What do you have to say to the girl who beat you out of your weekly allowance?"

Hands in his pockets, the boy in the blue, high-collar top, white shorts and arm warmers huffed while glaring ahead of him from a slouched over posture. "There are a couple of things I'd like to say to her. I'll give you a hint. It's only two words and seven letters. Three of them are 'F'."

Tayuya grunted in agreement before proceeding to mirror the boy's dejected expression. "I hear you."

"Aww. Are Sasuke and Tayuya-chan _that_ salty with me?" Tenten asked in a mocking, baby-tone of voice as she leaned over to smile into the redhead's face. The result was the newly promoted Genin both moving away and clenching their jaws to bite back their spite. "I mean, wow. I knew I was good… I just never realized that I would end up beating the two of you as badly as I did. Would it make you feel any better if I was to, say… split the prizes with you?"

"Do that… and I will put you in a genjutsu so deep that you'll be stuck in a coma on life support for an entire month," Tayuya growled, at the same time not even bothering to look at the girl.

Tenten gave a lighthearted laugh when she responded, "Heh… now I _know_ you can't possibly do that." When she saw the redhead glance across at her with a rather sinister smirk, the Genin's laughter and grin faded. "Wait… you _can_ do that?"

Tayuya looked away without saying a word, leaving the brown haired girl gaping at her. During which time the flute user turned her attention to their other tagalong. "So, chicken head. Where do you want to go… next…?" Stopping when she realized Sasuke was no longer next to her, the girl looked over her shoulder to see the boy had stopped, and was now staring across the street at something.

When the pair of female Genin approached the Uchiha and followed his gaze, they saw that he was looking at a girl kneeling over by one of the booths, and was currently having a game of gold fish scooping with a couple of friends. Looking her over, Tayuya and Tenten saw she was a very vibrat individual with hazel eyes and long brown hair that grew past her shoulders, the left side done into a braided ponytail and two golden ball bells holding it at the top. Adorned in a purple martial arts qi pao dress with pink flower patterns along the bottom edges, fishnet armor underneath, a white obi wrapped around her waist, and a large combat pouch on her back, the girl looked quite the striking kunoichi. This last part was obvious from the forehead protector worn across her brow.

As the girl played and giggled with her companions, Tayuya and Tenten couldn't help but notice Sasuke's intense gaze fixed squarely upon her. When they saw his lips tug into a small smile, a devilish grin formed on the redhead's lips. She then leaned in with a face mirroring Naruto's frequently seen foxy visage.

"Hey… isn't that Yakumo Kurama from Class B?" Tayuya asked no one in particular, at the same time making her question loud enough for the star struck raven haired prodigy to hear. "She graduated first in her group and number five overall for this year. With top marks in both the written and practical exams."

"Yeah. Isn't her family supposed to be masters in optical-based genjutsu?" Tenten murmured, a smile also spreading across her lips as she latched onto the conversation with Tayuya and joined her in the assessment. "They could weave you into a multi-layered illusion, leave you there, and you wouldn't even know you were standing in one. You're trapped in it until further notice, no matter what you do."

"Kind of makes me jealous. Her skills at casting illusions and trapping people are probably on par with my own," Tayuya continued with an excited glint in her eye. "Maybe the two of us can become BFFs." She then turned her attention to Sasuke and playfully nudged him in the back. "She's pretty cute. I can see why you're taken with her."

Recoiling out of his mindless daze, Sasuke glanced frantically between the two girls flanking him, before his expression returned to its usual, defiant fierceness. "W-What? No… I was just… distracted by the game they were playing." Clearing his throat in an effort to shake off the fact that he'd just been called out, the Uchiha looked away with a glare. "Yeah. Gold fish scooping. It's a great sport."

"Uh-huh. Sure," Tenten replied unconvincingly, placing a hand on her hip while grinning. "Whatever you say, bud."

Tayuya followed up with a quick shove to the boy's shoulder. "Don't be shy. Why don't you go over there and talk to the girl?"

As ever, the Uchiha refused to look at the flute player. "What makes you think I want to?"

"I saw the way you were looking at her, so I know for a fact that there's something going on inside that nebulous head of yours," the redhead continued, before then clapping her hands together and clenching her fists into an encouraging pose. "Come on. It'll be great. Here, _I'll_ be your wing man. We'll just walk up to her from two sides; me from the front and you from the back. I'll start by hitting on her, saying 'hey baby, do you want to go look at some coy fish together over by the river?' Then when she says 'no' and I keep insisting, you swoop in and save the day. It's full proof!"

While Tenten was snickering behind her hand at how enthusiastic and thrilled Tayuya was acting, a slowly reddening Sasuke snarled and walked away from the delinquent girl whispering the devil's tongue into his ear. "I _don't_ like her. I'm _not_ interested. And you and the dobe are two of the weirdest and most irritating people I've ever met. I'm leaving." He didn't even bother to look at his classmate or even open his eyes as he stomped towards the nearest side street.

And yet Tayuya continued her teasing. "Aww. Don't be like that, Sasuke-chan."

"Stay with us for a little bit longer," Tenten added at the end in a fake, whiny tone.

"Goodnight," the boy promptly replied.

Sharing one last grin with each other, the pair of cheeky kunoichi then shifted their focus to another booth, allowing the Uchiha to be on his way. Weaving a path through the crowd of happy villagers dominating the main street, the raven haired youngster eventually turned off at the next junction, where he then proceeded to make his way home. As the bustling avenue faded behind him, Sasuke quickly brought out his mental map and compass to gain his bearings, and figure out where the heck he was.

When he arrived at an intersection next to some housing not too far from the main road, the boy stopped to have a look around. Not seeing much beyond the street light shining directly down on top of him, he then had his attention pulled to the side when he heard the sound of light approaching footsteps. Seconds of waiting later, he saw the familiar form of Naruto walk into view.

The blond appeared genuinely surprised when he stopped at the edge of the light, "Ah. Sasuke. What are you doing out here?"

The genius Uchiha smirked and looked away. "Trying to get away from the crowd. Tayuya and your good friend Tenten were being a real pain in my ass, so I decided to bail on them and head home." Glancing back at the delinquent, Sasuke then noticed the enormous roll of parchment Naruto had slung onto his back and nodded towards it. "What's with the giant scroll?"

Shrugging it up further onto his shoulder, Naruto chuckled. "Just a little prize I won over at the ball toss. It's a massive comic roll of the first _Princess Gale_ movie. When I saw it, I knew right away that I had to have it."

"Uh-huh," Sasuke murmured, his expression firming up slightly when he sensed something was off. After giving it a moment of thought, the sceptical youngster then spoke again. "Did Mirai and Ino make it home okay?"

"Yep. Safe and sound. They were pretty worn out from all their partying so, you know… had to make sure the two of them didn't get lost on the way back to their compounds," the blond informed, at the same time stepping forward. "You said you were heading home as well, right? Come on. Let's walk and talk for a little while."

Expression remaining unfazed, the cool-headed genius closed his eyes and turned around. "Alright. Just try to avoid taking us through the main strip so that we don't cross paths with Tayuya again. Seriously. I hate it when girls gush over me like the way she does."

"Oh. The two of you are that close, huh?" Naruto laughed as he proceeded to follow his fellow graduate. "Well, that's Tayuya for yah. Always the flirt."

"Yeah… she _is_ ," Sasuke replied, only to suddenly spin around and slam a kick into the blonde's stomach. His swift blow landed with a loud thump, knocking the wind out of the delinquent's lungs and sending him flying down the road. Tumbling across the dirt path, the kid then rolled back into a crouching position and skidded to a stop, clutching his chest.

Naruto groaned loudly and snapped his gaze toward his attacker. "What the fuck was that for, teme?" the blond barked, appearing quite alarmed.

Lowering his leg, the prodigious Uchiha frowned. "Three things. First; Naruto took _Kurumi_ and _Sakura_ home. Not Mirai and Ino. Second; Tayuya only ever flirts with her roommate and makes _his_ life a living hell, since she's practically head over heels for the blond idiot." The boy then smirked when he saw the taken aback look on the delinquent's face. "And third; the _real_ Naruto would've seen that kick coming a mile away and dropped me the second I tried to throw it. So why don't you cut the act and tell me who you really are, faker?"

After a moment of staring, a rather murderous grin then spread across 'Naruto's' lips and a dark chuckle left his throat. "Iruka was right. You really are sharp." His body then went up in a puff of white smoke, which quickly dispersed to reveal a white-haired Mizuki, adorned in his shinobi uniform and bandana, crouching on the floor. Though the identity of the person certainly caught Sasuke by surprise, the boy was quick to recover when the man slowly rose to his feet. "But this much I should've expected from one of the top four graduates of this year's batch of cannon fodder. So, well done."

"Mizuki-sensei?" Sasuke frowned and clenched his fists, as all the warning lights in his body were starting to go off one after the other. "What the hell is this about? Why were you trying to disguise yourself as Naruto?"

Still smirking broadly, the white haired man reached up and brushed a hand past his locks, which he then positioned behind his neck. "I'm sure you can guess. I'm here to see _you_."

"Me?" Sasuke muttered, sliding a foot back as he began looking the Chunin up and down. Not liking the way he was eyeing him one bit, the Uchiha reached back toward his pouch. "What for?"

Casually and very discreetly producing a cluster of shuriken between the fingers of the hand behind his neck, Mizuki replied courteously, "I'm glad you asked that, because I really wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan-" Without warning the Chunin then swung his arm out and unleashed the barrage of ninja stars at the Uchiha standing several feet away from him.

The instant the Konoha ninja let loose the salvo, Sasuke's eyes flashed red as his Sharingan spun into view, with the boy immediately dropping into a defensive stance.

A split second later a series of sharp clangs echoed across the neighborhood…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(A couple streets away)

Back at the playground where a certain pair had stopped for a quick rest and a chat, Sakura and Hinata were still neck-deep in an argument that was border lining on a newly graduated kunoichi slugfest. At first the entire thing started with the Hyuuga stating how she didn't like the pinkette hanging out with an amazing boy like Naruto, and afterwards making a point of how she was merely trying to gain something from him by earning his favor. Of course Sakura objected to this, vehemently stating that she was definitely not trying to weasel anything out of the delinquent, while also adding to the fact that she didn't like the idea of the heiress besmirching her good name and honor with such unwarranted claims.

This soon devolved into the two basically comparing exam scores and marks to see who got the best deal. While Sakura of course got a hundred percent for the written test- with bonus points for referenced responses- and excelled in her use of the replacement and clone techniques, Hinata got top marks for the shuriken test, the obstacle course, and the taijutsu exams. The pair pretty much went round in circles with this, arguing the merits of their achievements while at the same time criticizing one another for their shortcomings in other areas.

"I'm the better fighter. That means I'm more qualified to be by Naruto-kun's side!" Hinata proclaimed in a loud voice, while at the same time puffing her chest out like a peacock.

"Oh yeah? Well let me see somewhere in writing that superior taijutsu skills are a prerequisite for hanging out with a friend? Wait… you don't have them?" Sakura asked in a shocked tone, before then proceeding to return fire. "Then I guess you're just shit out of luck, girl."

"Not everything has to be given to you on paper, Sakura-san. That's probably one of the areas in shinobi practice that you tend to overestimate," Hinata rebutted, emphasizing the girl's name in a rather deprecating manner. "Besides, I don't need to hand over anything for your consideration. Everything has all been verbally implied."

"Really? And here I thought you didn't deal in uncertainties, Ms. I'm-more-qualified-to-be-with-Naruto-kun-because-I-said-so-and-because-I'm-jealous," the pinkette retorted, simultaneously getting her nose up and under Hinata's, which had the raven haired girl grit her teeth irritably. "Get your head out of your ass. I'm not trying to _do_ or _be_ anything with him."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Naruto meanwhile was completely relegated to the bleachers, as he stood directly beside the pair with an anxious look on his face and his hands in his pockets. For the last several minutes he'd been forced to listen to the duo squabble, with Tama almost falling asleep on the floor next to him from a lack of anything interesting happening in that time. Frankly the 'jinchuriki' was starting to feel the same lackluster atmosphere take a hold of him, as he figured maybe it was about time to safely break up the pair so that they didn't scream themselves hoarse for next morning.

"Come on now, you two," the youngster said while stepping forward. "It's getting late, we should really start heading-"

Just as he was about to get between the girls and break up their _Best War Face_ competition, Tama's head suddenly perked up and her eyes snapped across the park. In a flash the little white fox jumped to her feet and gave a loud growl, which had Naruto, Hinata and Sakura turn towards the animal in surprise.

"Huh? Tama-chan? What's wro-HEY!" Cut off when he saw the tiny mammal scamper away at speed, Naruto turned heel and sprinted after her. "Where are you going? Hold up!"

Confused and caught completely off guard at the unexpected turn, Sakura and Hinata promptly forgot about their womanly quarrel in favor of pursuing the young male. Following after him as he legged it off of the playground and into the village streets, the pair of kunoichi followed the blond for a couple of blocks. Turning down narrow side roads and random alleyways, the group shortly found themselves crossing a road and onto one of the many large reserves dotting the edge of the residential area; a medium ways out from the bustling village squares. With the leaf still in the midst of a massive party, the uproar of celebration could still be heard echoing in the distance as Naruto, Sakura and Hinata sprinted after Tama through the trees of the heavily wooded parkland.

When they arrived at the edge of a clearing surrounded by towering oaks and cedars, the group then stopped when they happened across Sasuke, who was standing at the opposite end of the clearing, glaring up at the canopy with a hand pressed against his shoulder.

"Sasuke?" Naruto blurted as he pulled up next to the prodigy, who didn't even bother to acknowledge the delinquent's arrival, even when Sakura and Hinata joined them. "Did you get lost on your way to your house? What are you doing out here in the woods?"

Receiving no answer, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata instead followed the Uchiha's gaze upwards, where they immediately spotted a figure perched on the lowest branch. Upon honing in on them, they quickly recognized the person as their academy support instructor Mizuki; dressed in full combat garb, with two enormous Fuma Shuriken and a large scroll strapped to his back.

Looking between the man and the mildly injured Sasuke, who was currently nursing a cut on his arm, it quickly became apparent to all of them that something was up.

"What's… going on?" Sakura stammered, taking note of the intense-looking Sasuke and the scary-looking Mizuki above. "S-Sensei?"

Clicking his tongue, the white haired Chunin smirked at who he saw emerge from the brush to join his target. "Well, well… what do we have here?"

Acting cautiously while also giving Mizuki a suspicious glare, Naruto hissed across to his classmate. "Are we… interrupting something?" he asked, earning a yip from the ever-vigilant Tama standing in front of him. With her tail swishing about behind her and eyes fixed squarely on the academy instructor, the blond knew that this whole scene had to involve him.

Sasuke grunted heatedly. "I was on my way home when this sly prick came up to me in a henged form of you and tried to get the drop on me. When I figured out he wasn't the real you and that he had something else up his sleeve, he attacked me and I chased him all the way to this park."

"Huh…" Naruto balked, before looking back up at the academy teacher. "Why the heck would Mizuki-sensei want to target you?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out right now," Sasuke replied, removing his hand from the cut caused by a shuriken and clenching his fists at his sides.

As Hinata moved forward to stand alongside the two boys defensively, Mizuki eyed the four youngsters mischievously for a moment. "I certainly wasn't expecting this. Naruto-kun… _and_ Hinata-sama coming to young Sasuke-kun's aid… and at the exact same time? Ha! It seems like the Gods are lining up the bodies for me one after the other. How quaint." After making a quick headcount, the man decided to seize the opportunity presented to him and nonchalantly rested a hand on his hip. "To tell you the truth, I was actually hoping to kill Sasuke-kun and take off before the rest of the village caught wind of what was really going on. But considering how swept up the people are in their little festivity, I think I can spare a few extra seconds to take care of a couple more rats."

While Sakura felt a cold, frightening chill of fear run down her spine from her teacher's uncharacteristically hostile words, Hinata, not liking where this was going, narrowed her pale eyes on the enemy. "Enough with the cryptic threats and tell us what the hell you're trying to accomplish, Mizuki- _sensei_." The last bit she added with an obvious hint of displeasure.

Huffing arrogantly, the white haired warrior directed his gaze toward the Hyuuga. "I have no beef with you, Hinata-sama. The engagement I have with young Sasuke tonight is purely business. Nothing for someone of your nobility and standing to get involved with."

Hinata's scowl only seemed to tighten at these words. "Well, seeing as how we're all out here now, I think we're all pretty much involved." Her words of support as she stood beside Naruto and Sasuke caused the pair of boys to assume firmer positions. At the same time Sakura remained in the background, eyeing the three top graduates and the Chunin worringly.

"You heard the lady," Naruto continued with an equal sense of spite and vigor. "Spill it… before I come up there and beat the truth out of you myself."

The boy's challenging statement drew a loud, amused laugh from Mizuki, who used the tree trunk next to him for support as he brought a hand to his brow and shook his head. "Oh, you are a funny one, Naruto-kun. Thinking you can take on an elite, fully-trained shinobi like me in a fight. That's hysterical." The man then leered at the children, who he could see were still acting unfazed in the slightest. "Though I am 'touched' to see how the three of you are banding together so well to face me, there's a little something I think all of you should know about one of your compatriots."

Sasuke frowned. "What makes you think we want to hear this?"

"Because we're really not that interested," Hinata added at the end.

"Ah, but you should be," Mizuki pressured tauntingly, as he then crouched low on the branch and shot the Uchiha a menacing leer. "Because you see, this person is not all that he seems. He is the bearer of a terrible secret… a force that has brought about countless deaths and losses for centuries… and was recently involved in this village's most horrifying and destructive attack."

Thinking on it for a moment, Sakura and everybody else soon got what the Chunin was referring to, with the former looking up at the man with a start. "The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?"

Mizuki's grin widened when he now saw he had the children's' full and undivided attention. "That's right. And just so you know, this same beast, which was responsible for mercilessly and indiscriminately killing so many innocent people- families, children, and shinobi alike- now resides inside the person you have chosen to make your close friend and comrade. You just never heard about this because your parents never told you about them… all because of a decree set forth by the Hokage years ago, ordering them to keep quiet about it." The Chunin then laughed when he saw the expressions reflected on all their faces. "The Kyuubi... the nine-tailed fox spirit, is inside Naruto."

Everyone, especially Sakura, looked across at the delinquent in shock, as every single one of them was hit head-on by the news at the exact same time. Like a hammer being struck against a bell, the entire world around them seemed to come to an abrupt standstill, as Sasuke and Hinata took a moment to fully process the news that had just given to them. When a deathly silence fell over the area, drowning out the noises of music and cheering in the distance, it quickly became apparent that Naruto's friends were now starting to become aware of a completely different factor in this gathering.

This much was obvious from the look on Sakura's face, which had transformed from one of alarm to one of fear and disbelief.

Naruto meanwhile remained completely unfazed, even in the face of this reveal, as he was still glaring fiercely up at the man standing above them along with Tama.

"Y-You mean… Naruto-kun…" Sakura gulped, her body beginning to tremble as the full weight and realization of the moment slowly began to overwhelm her. As she stood there, staring at the blonde's back, she slowly became aware of a shadowy phantom of an unknown entity forming around the delinquent's body, which began to spread out and choke the entire area. This was not a literal manifestation by any stretch of the imagination, but merely a biproduct of the overwhelming sensation of fear of the known being inserted into the poor girl's mind, which clouded her judgement and caused her emotions to spiral out of control. The experience prompted the girl to take a shaky step away from her classmate and the grin on the observing Mizuki's face to widen. "Naruto… has the demon fox... inside him?"

The white-haired Chunin cackled triumphantly. "Inside him? Hell… he _is_ the demon! The fox spirit that destroyed our village and killed so many of our people has taken over his body as its newest vessel! It's obvious he's been possessed by it. He even has a tiny white vixen as a familiar!" He said this while pointing down at Tama, who only growled at the man's exclamations. "On top of that, Naruto has made a name for himself for assaulting children across the entire village, in a long and senseless spree of violence! Do you think that's normal behavior for a kid? He may seem kind and gentle on the outside… but inside… he's nothing but a monster! He's been touched by the fox's evil and won't hesitate for a second to bring harm to every single person around him!"

These words caused a listening Sakura to pale, her weakened legs carrying her back a few more paces, while she stared fearfully and anxiously up at the blond youngster. In an instant, almost all her prior thoughts on her classmate suddenly started to become poisoned by uncertainty and terror. It left her feeling fearful of her own safety and sense of security, as if the blond himself was going to turn on them at any second.

In an instant, the situation of Mizuki attacking Sasuke no longer seemed relevant at this point. Now, a seemingly new threat had arrived on the scene; one that had been standing in their midst the entire time. The whole thing made Sakura want to collapse on the spot and curl up into a ball, as she'd had no idea that such a danger had been so close to them.

"No… it… can't be true," Sakura stuttered, her eyes still wide and face flooded with panic.

Mizuki laughed when he saw the young girl practically teetering on the point of running and capitalized on the moment. "YOU SEE! All of your so-called friends can now see you for what you really are! A demon! A beast! This is why you'll never be accepted by this village, nor will you find any place in it! Because deep down, you know that everybody hates your guts!" The man then raised his head up high and grinned menacingly. "So what do you have to say to that?"

For a few more seconds the kids standing around Naruto continued to stare at the blond in silence. Despite feeling their eyes on him, the delinquent held his ground; his frown remaining as his eyes stayed locked on the cocky Chunin on the branch. Even now he could feel the doubt, fear and shock still lingering around him, especially from the girl he'd been helping home. If anything, Sakura was the most visibly and emotionally hit by this news, as was evident by the look on her face and her posture.

At this moment, Naruto wouldn't blame her if she ran away or showered him with hate. That much he expected from anybody else who found out about this news. So, doing what he always did in this situation, the blond braced himself internally, waiting for the inevitable downpour from those standing beside him.

But, just when Sakura seemed like she was at the point of breaking, amidst the silence and tension, Sasuke turned his glare toward Mizuki once again and spoke.

"Yeah? So what?" The Uchiha's question had Sakura's gaze snap to him in surprise.

Mizuki meanwhile recoiled in confusion. "Huh?"

"You think I give a shit that the dobe has a giant fox spirit or whatever inside him?" Sasuke responded, his expression firm and voice unwavering. "Naruto saved my mother's life… and the lives of many other members of my clan… including Kurumi's. And he's been a friend of mine for years. As far as I'm concerned, he isn't a threat to anyone at all."

Following up on this, an equally unshaken Hinata nodded in support and glared up at Mizuki. "Naruto-kun is the strongest, kindest, most down-to-earth and honorable person I've ever met. Whatever demon or entity has latched onto him has probably already been overwhelmed and defeated by his righteous spirit long ago." The Hyuuga huffed and smirked broadly. "I've looked up to him and regarded Naruto-kun as a classmate and acquaintance for as long as I can remember… and nothing you say is ever going to change that."

At this point, Mizuki was beside himself with disbelief. "Wh-… bu-… how-… WHAT?!"

Sasuke chuckled and shot the Chunin a smug look. "You say he's some kind of monster? Well, I think the one who is the bigger monster around here is _you_ , Mizuki-sensei." He added to this with a quick look-away. "And a rather pathetic one at that."

When Mizuki growled in frustration at hearing the cocky tone from both class prodigies, a stunned Sakura stumbled forward and stammered weakly. "Y-You guys… aren't… worried about the fox inside him at all?"

Hearing this, Hinata looked over her shoulder and frowned at the kunoichi. "Hmph. You say you're a friend of Naruto-kun's and yet here you are doubting his character just because some no-clan, rabid and probably mentally unstable Chunin says he has some kind of malicious spirit inside of him? Well… if that's the case… then I guess you're not the tolerant, openhearted person I thought you were." The Hyuuga then turned to Naruto, whom she saw was now looking across at her, and smiled warmly at him. Hell, a blush even appeared on her cheeks, which then led to the heiress stuttering momentarily under his gaze. "N-Naruto-kun is nothing like the Nine-Tails at all… so I've got nothing to be scared about."

Sakura blinked as her mind processed the words spoken by both Sasuke and Hinata. Hearing their statements, and feeling the positivity and confidence radiating from them, seemed to help jumpstart the girl back into reality, as she slowly turned to stare at Naruto once more. When she saw the boy looking over his shoulder at her with his calm blue eyes and rugged, boyish visage, the pink-haired kunoichi inhaled sharply and felt her heart hammer against her chest. Sensing his gentle yet firm gaze filled with intent fix upon her, seemed to dispel whatever fear Sakura once held of him and the creature he was supposedly carrying, and dispersed the image of the deathly phantom she saw draped over his form.

Suddenly, all the doubt once clouding her eyes vanished, as she once again recognized the kind boy who'd helped her all those years ago and the quiet, serious, and diligent student she observed in class staring back at her.

The soft, reassuring smile he gave her afterwards seemed to help in the healing process, and put a small smile back onto her face.

Nodding a quick thanks to both Sasuke and Hinata for their support, Naruto and his friends looked up at Mizuki once more, whom they now saw was pretty much seething under his bandana. "Well… there you have it, sensei. These guys are still cool with me." He then chuckled when the Chunin emitted a low growl. "Honestly, I have no idea what you were trying to accomplish by saying all of that. I already knew about the Kyuubi and what happened all those years ago."

Grinding his teeth, Mizuki reached back and gripped one of the large Fuma Shuriken strapped to his back. "Why… you… cocky little-"

"Oh. And for your information; the Nine-Tails didn't possess me. It was sealed inside of me by the Fourth Hokage, who trusted me to hang onto it and protect this village. The demon doesn't have any control or influence over me at all. And as for Tama here…" He gestured down to his furry companion, "She's my friend, whom I took in and nursed back to health when I found her injured on the side of the road." When he heard the fox give a cheerful yip in response, the delinquent grinned. "You're welcome." Upon which Naruto shrugged at the Chunin. "So in the end, I guess your little bullshit rant didn't amount to anything. Sorry, Mizuki-sensei."

Dropping down from the tree to land in the clearing directly in front of the trio, a fuming Mizuki rose up to full height and snarled. "Alright. I've had enough of this!" Snapping his Fuma Shuriken out, the Chunin then leered murderously across at the three children, all of whom he saw drop into defensive stances. "I don't care what my orders are or what my timetable says. I'm going to kill all four of you right now!"

Just when Sasuke and Hinata were preparing to meet the man's attack, Naruto then held a hand out, stopping the pair from whatever they were planning to do. "No. You guys stay back. I've got this." The members of the troop then watched the blond march calmly towards Mizuki, a smirk stretched across his whicker-marked face and eyes narrowed firmly. "This asshole went to the trouble of trying to talk me down like all those other pricks and dropouts I ran into on the streets. He even tried to kill one of my friends. So as payback, I'm going to break his legs."

"Arrogant punk. You're nothing but an academy graduate! A mere street delinquent!" Mizuki shouted, at the same time throwing the blond standing several yards away a malicious grin. "You're not a super elite ninja like me! I'll cut you down with a single move!" Setting himself into a fighting stance, he then spun the massive Fuma Shuriken in his hand like a circular saw, which hummed loudly when it picked up speed between his fingers.

"Go ahead and try it, fool! I'll throw it back at you a thousand fold!" Naruto yelled back before then sprinting forward in a blur, kicking up dust at his launch. "In the meantime, let me show you my _real_ fighting style!"

Grinning eagerly at seeing the kid running right at him like an idiot, the Chunin cocked back his arm before pitching the massive Fuma Blade at the youngster. The large weapon arced straight towards the boy closing in on him, threatening to cut him in half even as he crossed his arms over his face to protect himself. However, just when Sasuke and everybody thought they were going to watch Naruto get bifurcated right in front of them, when the giant shuriken collided with the youngster, it shattered uselessly into dozens of pieces, while Naruto continued charging towards the Chunin without losing speed.

Mizuki, just like the Genin watching from the sidelines, gaped in shock. "What?!" Eyes widened in horror, the once overconfident ninja reached behind him and drew a cluster of a dozen regular shuriken from his pouch, which he then lobbed at his target.

Seeing the shuriken flying at him, Naruto, not stopping or even making an effort to dodge, drew back his right hand and slapped the ninja stars out of the air. When the others missed or bounced off of him harmlessly, the jinchuriki leaned forward, picked up speed and closed the distance between him and the Chunin.

Recoiling in alarm, Mizuki reached over his shoulder for his last Fuma Shuriken. "W-What the fuck?! Why aren't you stopping?!" The moment he drew the large weapon to attack Naruto, he suddenly received a heavy elbow to the stomach when the blond tackled him in the form of a white and yellow blur. Not only was the man effectively kicked off his feet, but the wind he had in his lungs was knocked out and the enormous _Scroll of Seals_ hanging off of his back was effectively detached.

After a brief flight across the grass, Mizuki's body crashed into a tree inside the wooded area, cracking the trunk with his impact before he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. The giant scroll meanwhile bounced away and through the brush, in which it unfurled itself and rolled open across the ground somewhere in the reserve.

Trembling and groaning in pain, the winded Mizuki looked up at his target with a start. "It… It's not possible. How the hell… could you repel all those shuriken? They should've cut you to ribbons!"

Naruto chuckled as he walked around the downed Chunin, who quickly went about getting back to his feet. "Aside from working on increasing my physical strength, I focused on improving my durability as well. After burning and stabbing myself for over four years, I was able to strengthen my muscles and skin to that of tensile steel. Now conventional blades won't hurt me."

Using the tree behind him as support allowed Mizuki to finally get back up, upon which he sneered at the child. "You… You really are a monster."

"Yeah. But I'm the best kind of monster," Naruto replied with a wink.

With a growl, Mizuki pushed off of the tree and rushed forward. "Don't fuck with me! I can still beat you down!" Dashing at the blond who took a defensive stance, he then threw a haymaker at his head, only to see the boy slip it and counter with an uppercut. The blow smashed into the man's jaw and knocked his head upward, leaving him open for a vicious pummeling of fists. After having his body hammered by heavy, merciless blows, Naruto finished off with a side kick that slammed into his ribs and sent the Chunin skidding across the ground.

Gasping, the stunned shinobi recovered quickly and rushed back in with a butterfly kick, only to have both his legs dodged when Naruto backed away. Upon which the blond raised his foot and front-kicked the man in the chest the instant his last leg touched down. The counter slammed into the man with incredible force, knocking him to the floor and sending him tumbling. When Mizuki desperately scrambled to his feet and came back in with a flurry of punches, Naruto masterfully dodged them boxing style, hands up at his cheeks before ducking in with a swift series of punches to the man's body, before delivering a sharp palm strike across his face. That last blow landed with a dull crack, sending Mizuki spinning away.

"Kenpo needs work," Naruto commented after a quick observation. "Your spacing and timing's for shit."

When the Chunin stopped, the frustrated man promptly drew a kunai and took a swing at the kid with a downward slicing blow. Naruto anticipated his movement perfectly, catching the man's arm, twisting into his limb and body, before tossing the instructor over his shoulder and slamming him into the floor with a roar of effort. Crashing onto his back, Mizuki gasped when the air was knocked out of his lungs and spun a leg around, before thrusting it up at the boy's face. Naruto leapt back at the last second, watching his opponent kip back to his feet and charge in wildly again.

Meanwhile Hinata, Sasuke, Tama and Sakura watched Naruto duke it out with Mizuki from the sidelines, with the two prodigies smiling at seeing how easily the blond was beating on the Chunin. The pinkette meanwhile was astonished, unable to believe how the delinquent, who'd just graduated to becoming a Genin, was calmly and effortlessly dealing with their teacher. Having initially believed the instructors at the academy to be far above them in skill, here she was now watching one of her classmates taking one of them on head to head. And on top of this, he was winning.

" _This is amazing. Naruto-kun… he's… he's actually beating Mizuki-sensei,"_ Sakura thought, as she observed Naruto parry the Chunin's hook, lock the man's arm under his, and retaliate with a double-palm strike to the man's chest, before finishing off with a spin kick, which lifted Naruto off the ground and allowed him to deliver it across Mizuki's face.

Sasuke and Hinata meanwhile didn't appear shocked by the boy's performance in the least. In fact, both of them were following the fight with a keen eye and interest, as if they could do the same thing.

A spray of blood and sweat filled the air as the Konoha shinobi flew across the ground and crashed into another tree, smashing through it and causing it to collapse. Landing several yards away, the battered Mizuki, with a swollen face and blood leaking from his mouth glared up hatefully at Naruto, who he could see was skipping on the spot with his hands up just like Sugar Ray Robinson.

The blond grinned and winked. "Had enough?"

"Rotten little shit! I'll show you!" Mizuki roared, standing up, charging at him, and slamming his hands together into a hand seal. "A real ninja uses ninjutsu to fight! Worthless trash like you will never survive on the field if you can't do a simple technique like _this_!" After flying through a series of hand signs, the air around Mizuki's shimmered before four copies surrounded him, all of which charged at the child. _**"Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ (Clone Technique) The one you failed at!" The five Chunin copies then converged on Naruto's position for a simultaneous attack. "Come on! Hit me if you can!"

Eyes darting between the copies, a calm Naruto then shot forward, weaving through the incorporeal bodies of the first two copies before delivering a sharp elbow to the third, which landed with a loud crunch in Mizuki's face. Nose crushing under the blow, the Chunin's head was thrown back as he gave a loud cry of agony. As the remaining clones dispersed, the ninja with blood smeared over his face stopped stumbling back and formed another hand seal.

"Damn it! You think that will-?" He was cut off when Naruto delivered a swift, heavy roundhouse kick to his leg, which suddenly smashed his leg inwards at the knee at a sickening angle with crunch. When Mizuki fell forward with a cry of pain, the blond suddenly grabbed his right hand, yanked him forward, and snapped his fingers backwards, which caused Mizuki to scream out even louder. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Holding Mizuki in a painful wrist lock with every single finger on his hand bent all the way backwards to an impossible degree, a calm Naruto grinned widely. "Oh? What's this? Your fingers are broken? Now you can't use hand signs to do ninjutsu anymore, you waste of shit." To finish off the blond lifted his foot before slamming it into the Chunin's face, propelling the man across the field and towards the edge of the clearing. When he heard the man whimper and attempt to get up, but fail, the delinquent straightened up while his friends watched from the sidelines. "A guy like me doesn't need ninjutsu when I can just break through practically everything you can throw at me. Now you've lost."

Gasping for air as he clutched his hand, Mizuki whimpered for a few more seconds before a grin returned to his face. This was then followed by a low snicker and a high-pitched chuckle, "Have I? Have I really?" Sensing the confused looks appear on the observing children's faces, the Chunin then craned his head up and leered over at the youngsters. "Obviously you don't have the training or the years of experience to know better…"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Know what?"

"That in a battle like this… it's not over until it's _over_!" Mizuki growled, still gripping his twisted and bent fingers of his right hand as he got to his knees and leered across at the group of academy graduates. It was then as the children were staring at the seemingly defeated Chunin that they suddenly felt an ominous air suddenly start to waft off of him, with Tama suddenly giving a low growl as a blue flame ignited at the end of her fluffy tail. "The fight is only won… when the opponent is either unconscious… or dead… and you missed the chance to do either!" The man's eyes then widened as his expression became manic. "YOU ARE ALL DEAD!"

Having heard enough, Naruto drew a kunai from behind him and chucked it towards Mizuki's head. But just before his blade could hit, he and everybody else received quite a start when, in the blink of an eye, the man's left arm flew forward, expanded in size and muscle mass, and caught the projectile in midflight. The fingers tightening around the tiny knife then shattered it, as in a matter of moments the Genin standing at a distance watched as the laughing Mizuki staggered to his feet as his body was rocked by wild and violent convulsions.

As if he were possessed by some otherworldly entity, the cackling man's bones and muscles began to creak and pop loudly, as one by one his limbs started to expand in shape and mass. In a matter of moments, the children's once confused expressions soon transformed into ones of shock and disbelief as they watched the man's twisted fingers and broken leg snap back into place and heal, as the metamorphosis he was undergoing started to increase at an alarming rate. His transformation was so fast and violent that his shirt and Chunin vest exploded into shreds, while his lumbering form and morphing feet disintegrated his sandals. His shadow was soon towering over Naruto, whose head craned upwards with a pure look of dread when the once human male's transformation took an unbelievable turn.

To accompany his increase in size and height, Mizuki's skin grew a layer of gold and black striped fur, his finger and toenails elongated into claws, and his expression became more bestial and animalistic in appearance. What's more, his face twisted and morphed into that of a wild animal, his teeth sharpened, his eyes narrowed, and a low, cat-like growl left his throat. Once his body finished its drastic alterations, he was now standing two times taller than before.

Sasuke, Hinata, Sakura and Naruto gaped at the towering Mizuki as he glared down at them through a pair of bright yellow eyes, his body and muscles heaving with every ragged breath he took. When he stepped forward, the man shook the ground with the weight of his footstep, causing the blond delinquent standing closest to him to take a cautious step back.

Clearly this was not a transformation they'd been expecting. Nor was it anything normal.

"Umm… okay…" Naruto began, not quite knowing what to say as he could hear his friend Tama growling in the background. "This is new. Steroid shots… for house cats?"

When Mizuki grinned, he bared his canines, and an incredibly deep, harsh chuckle left his throat. _**"Not exactly."**_

All of a sudden Naruto saw Mizuki's form duck down in a black blur before he suddenly felt his ribs and stomach cave in from what he thought was an anvil crashing into him. His cry of pain was muffled by the sound of an earth shaking thud as he was sent flying into the woods, past his friends, and through several trees. When he landed seconds later, his impact was marked by a rumbling crash and a cloud of dust shooting through the woods, as a total of three trees collapsed to the ground.

Sakura gasped at seeing the boy fly through the woods from the hit. "N-NARUTO-KUN!"

"Shit. This is bad," Sasuke muttered, turning back around to face the hulking mass of unbridled power and muscle that was now Mizuki. When he saw the transformed Chunin rise up through the dust cloud he'd caused from his blindingly fast strike, the Uchiha activated his Sharingan and took a defensive stance. "What gives? Why the hell is he so strong all of a sudden?"

Veins quickly appeared on either side of Hinata's face as her _Byakugan_ switched on for combat. The moment she got a good look at the figure in front of her, the girl balked in shock. "His… chakra level is through the roof. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah… and that means big trouble for us," Sasuke replied, sensing Hinata assume a fighting stance too while Sakura and Tama hung in the back, and observed the events unfold.

Taking a deep breath, the cat-like Mizuki sneered at the two kids standing side by side through his toothy grin. _**"You have no idea."**_ With a yell, the Chunin dashed forward in a flicker, his body distorting from the speed of his approach as a cloud of dust kicked up behind him.

Tracking his movements through their respective dōjutsu, both Sasuke and Hinata braced themselves when they saw Mizuki was going to rush right through them. Guarding their chests, the pair were then hit head on by the giant werecat when he clotheslined both of them with his massive arms, knocking them off their feet from the force of his impact. The moment they were hit, Mizuki's form suddenly fazed through the pair at a blinding speed, where his body then reformed directly behind them, and allowed the Chunin to ram both his elbows into the two prodigies' backs. The unexpected attack from behind knocked both Sasuke and Hinata flying forward, the pair yelling out in pain as they were knocked towards the trees.

When their momentum slowed, the two kids spun around and slammed their feet into the ground, skidding to a stop and setting their sights back onto their opponent.

"The heck was that?" Sasuke coughed out.

"I couldn't track him at all. He's too fast," Hinata spoke up.

Just before the pair could figure out what the heck had just happened, Mizuki had already finished flying through hand seals. _**"I'll incinerate you both!"**_ Inhaling deeply, the feline Chunin's chest inflated like a balloon, a split second before he reeled forward and unleashed a blast of orange flames from his lips. _**"Katon: Endan!"**_ (Fire Release: Flame Bullet) The ball of fire rocketed from the man's lips and expanded in size at an accelerated rate, burning a trench through the ground as it shot towards Sasuke and Hinata.

Gasping, both kids broke formation and darted to the sides as fast as they could, avoiding the flaming bullet the size of a room slamming into the woods behind them and detonating with a massive explosion. The shockwave caused by the blast shook the ground for hundreds of meters, startling a nearby Sakura who shrieked and fell as she was knocked off her feet.

As rubble and smoke choked the forest, and a cloud of embers began to fall all around, Mizuki then craned his head to the side and smiled when he saw Hinata land nearby. The moment the kunoichi touched down after her evasive jump, the girl set herself into her clan's signature _Juken_ fighting stance. In response the Chunin clenched his fists and bulked up his already massive muscles.

" _ **You think your family's fighting style will work on me, Hinata-sama?"**_ Mizuki asked haughtily, before his grin widened. _**"I'd certainly like to see."**_

The Hyuuga heiress huffed. "As you wish." Taking this as a challenge, the long haired girl took a steady breath as she changed her hands from open palm to a more clawed form. Once she'd done this Hinata then seized the moment and rushed at the large man as fast as she could, drawing her hands back and taking aim. Ducking the wide slash Mizuki countered with to try and clock her in the head, the girl drew back her clawed right and, with a loud bellow, drove a palm strike into the tiger's stomach.

Mizuki hovered saw the blow coming and blocked with his forearm. From there he proceeded to deflect and block an onslaught of vicious blows, as Hinata unleashed a flurry of lightning fast palm and claw strikes upon the Chunin in rapid succession. A series of loud thuds filled the air as a gale of wind kicked up a cloud of dust around the clearing, which continued to spew outwards from the shockwaves being generated by the two.

After mercilessly assaulting the unmoving Mizuki and striking his guard, the girl eventually parried a swift counter from the man and retaliated with a quick finger jab to a pressure point in the man's chest. Her sharp blow struck the man's pectoral where his heart was, with a quick chakra burst ensuring she struck his heart. However, after her blow sunk into the man's flesh, marking the end of Hinata's spirited rush, nothing happened.

Seeing the veins across the Chunin's fur-curved body pulsing from the chakra surging through him, Hinata recoiled in shock when she saw his energy was still on the rise. _"Impossible. He… absorbed all of my blows?"_ This had never happened to her before. Her chakra attacks had had no effect.

A low chuckle left Mizuki's lips as he leered down at the girl, who recoiled when she saw her blow had done nothing and swiftly retracted her hand. _**"Sorry, princess. Thanks to the Beast Cursed Seal bestowed upon me by my master, my body's muscles, organs and circulatory system have been specially enhanced to resist your Juken style of taijutsu!"**_ Cocking back his arm, the fierce monster of a shinobi roared and threw a downward overhand at the girl. _**"Now your clan's infamous martial arts is useless against me!"**_ A gasp was all Hinata could muster as she swung her arms up and blocked the punch that slammed into her from up high.

The force of the blow caused a shockwave to ripple outwards and caused the ground to cave in slightly beneath them, with Hinata's feet digging into the earth for extra purchase. The Hyuuga heiress growled as she struggled to hold back the sheer brute force the man was now exerting upon her, sweat breaking out on her face as blood trickled down from her palms.

As her feet slid back along the ground and Mizuki pressed forward with his full bodyweight, the desperate Hinata pushed back for dear life. "N-No… I won't… give in! Not to this… freak!"

Sakura, who was watching the fight from the sidelines, could see Hinata struggling and hear her cries of distress. At first completely overwhelmed by the power being displayed and the sense of danger choking the atmosphere, as it was clear Mizuki was out to kill them, the pinkette realized they needed help.

Stopping her body from trembling where she was kneeling, the girl clenched her jaw tightly and shakily stood up. "I have to do something!" Reaching back and drawing a kunai from her pouch, she prepared to rush in, only to suddenly stop when a white tail appeared in front of her. Following it down, she saw Tama looking back at her with a serious gaze, which was promptly followed by a headshake. This gesture had Sakura's mouth open in confusion. "B-But… Naruto-kun… Hinata and Sasuke-san… they need my help." When the tiny fox barked at her, the girl lowered her weapon arm slowly in confusion. "You… want me to wait?" The nod from Tama gave the pinkette her answer, who reluctantly resigned herself to her current position.

Just when it seemed like Hinata's guard was about to give way to the giant tiger of a man bearing down on her, a shadow suddenly dropped down from above as Sasuke returned to the fray. "Up here!" When Mizuki's eyes snapped upwards, he received a swift kick to the top of his head, which was followed by the Uchiha landing in front of him and nailing him with a barrage of fierce punches. The boy yelled out as he drilled into the Chunin's ribs with dozens of punishing blows, all of which forced the hulking ninja to stumble back under the aggressiveness of his combo.

However, instead of doing much damage, all of Sasuke's blows merely bounced off of Mizuki's abs, which absorbed the force of his punches and allowed the Chunin to bring both his arms up and cup his hands above his head. Spotting this had Sasuke stop and Hinata back off.

" _ **Doton: Furue Kiretsu!"**_ (Earth Release: Quaking Fissure) Mizuki bellowed, a split second before he struck down with his wide. The two geniuses in the path of his attack leapt away just in time to avoid his fists, which slammed straight into the earth and generated a shockwave that sent a blast of force tearing through the woods. What followed was the path the attack had followed caving in and splitting the ground for a hundred yards, as about a dozen trees were collapsed into the gaping cavern that formed in its wake.

When the earth finished trembling moments later and the dust settled, Mizuki saw Sasuke and Hinata land safely on either side of the crevice. Giving a deep chuckle, he then set himself into a stance and went after them, starting with the kunoichi. Lashing out at her with a series of wild strikes, the giant cat chased his tiny opponent into the woods, up until one of his strikes was effectively deflected by Hinata's parry. When his arm was blown back by a blast of chakra from her limb, his attention was suddenly drawn towards the canopy when a shadow flew directly overhead.

There, he instantly spotted Sasuke leaping over his position in a high arc, blazing through hand seals before taking a deep breath. _**"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique) The Uchiha prodigy then unleashed a rapid barrage of small fire balls from his lips through his fingers, which propelled him upwards while the projectiles rained down on Mizuki's position. Hinata meanwhile used that moment to get the fuck out of the way.

A grunt of pain left the tiger man's lips when he was clipped in the shoulder by the first shot, until he was then bombarded by the rest of the salvo. The ground beneath him lit up with a series of chain explosions, which mashed together and consumed the transformed ninja in a massive fireball.

As the inferno engulfed the area and licked at the surrounding trees, Sasuke quickly landed right next to Hinata, where the pair then watched through nervous expressions as the flames slowly died down. Just when it seemed like they'd beaten the man, the wall of smoke and embers in front of them parted violently, and Mizuki came charging out at them. _**"SURPRISE!"**_ With a hearty laugh of enjoyment, the mad Chunin caught the pair completely off guard, viciously backhanding Hinata away and into the woods, before swiftly kicking Sasuke in the stomach.

Both children let out respective shouts of agony as they were propelled into the undergrowth. While Hinata crashed through several bushes, Sasuke slammed through a tree, which then collapsed to the ground with a mighty tremor.

" _ **That's two more."**_ Chuckling at pretty much dispensing of the pests and the last obstacle in his path, Mizuki's cat-like ears twitched as he slowly turned his attention towards the woods behind him. _**"Now… what happened to the scroll?"**_

OOO

Amidst the sound of battle and trees crashing down all around him, over in another small clearing Naruto had just managed to pull himself into a kneeling position on the grass. Gripping the side of his head and groaning, he then pulled it away to reveal blood, indicating he'd cut himself somewhere on his cranium after being sent through the trees. Not only was his outfit torn, but he was also quite grungy from that one punch.

That wasn't even counting the fact he had a couple of cracked ribs too.

"Huh… that last one certainly packed a wallop," Naruto muttered to himself, not really liking the fact that Mizuki had gone from completely ordinary to freakishly strong in a span of only a few seconds. "What a fucking cheat. He calls himself an elite ninja when the only way he can get strong is through some stupid power boost."

Though it annoyed him that the guy was now even more troublesome to deal with than before, what pissed Naruto off the most was that he allowed himself to get hit so easily afterwards. And not only that, the scarf Kurumi had given him as a present years ago was now covered in blood.

This was something he was not going to be able to live down.

Just as he was getting to his feet, he then spotted something out of the corner of his eye and looked to his left to see the enormous sealing scroll Mizuki had previously been carrying lying open nearby. Blinking at the calligraphy written across it, as well as the odd sealing patterns further along its length, that had Naruto blink in confusion.

"The hell is _that_ thing?" he asked.

Unfortunately he wasn't able to get an answer to his question when moments later the enormous form of Mizuki came stomping out of the woods. Pushing aside the large tree standing in his way, the hybrid man-tiger pushed his way into the clearing Naruto was in. It was here his eyes quickly locked onto the blond crouching in the middle of the thicket.

" _ **Still alive, huh?"**_ Mizuki chuckled darkly as he slowly moved forward. _**"No matter. It won't be long till other Konoha shinobi start showing up. So after I'm done with you, I'll finish off that white fox and Sakura, grab Sasuke's body, and then be on my way."**_ Reaching up to wipe his nose in a confident gesture, the man then grunted and marched towards the delinquent at a faster pace. _**"Now hold still, Demon Fox!"**_

Gritting his teeth and quickly standing up, Naruto suddenly lost balance and fell over sideways due to the damage still affecting him from that last hit. Falling across the _Scroll of Seals_ and smearing the blood on his hand over it, the blond quickly mustered up a surge of chakra to try and get back up. But the moment he was about to move, one of the seals his hand made contact with on the scroll lit up a bright blue, before a massive sealing array spread across the floor beneath him.

Before any of those present in the area could react, a blinding flash of light filled the area, causing Mizuki and Naruto to clench their eyes shut, with the former lifting his arm to shield his face.

" _ **Gah! What the hell?"**_

When the blinding strobe faded moments later, Naruto found himself sitting in a cloud of steam, staring ahead of him in confusion. Glancing down at the spot he touched, the boy then gave a startled yelp when a black mass of shadow sitting across the sealing paper slithered up his body, wrapped around his scarf, and sunk into it. What happened next was a series of bright blue seals flashing across the fabric, before the blood he had staining it vanished into the material.

As Naruto stared in bewilderment down at the length of fabric wrapped around his neck, a previously startled Mizuki shook his head, cleared his eyes, and then continued his trudge toward the blond. _ **"I have no idea what kind of trick you tried to pull on me, but it's not going to work."**_ The second he was over the blond, who scrambled to his feet, the man-tiger drew back his fist and bellowed. _**"DIE!"**_

Naruto raised his hands and prepared to counter the man's swing. But the moment the man's hand lashed out at him, an odd thing happened.

The scarf Naruto was wearing suddenly came to life, with part of the fabric hanging in front of him shooting up and effortlessly blocking Mizuki's strike. Both the blond and the tiger towering over him stared at the scarf in confusion, with both the attacker and the fabric retracting at the same time. After a moment of confusion, the Chunin tried again with the other hand, only to once again have his strike deflected by the length of scarf whipping up and parrying his attack.

This time, the moment Mizuki's arm was knocked away, the other side of the scarf wrapped around Naruto's neck whipped around and slapped the giant tiger across the face, knocking him stumbling away. Before Naruto could figure out what the hell was going on, the possessed piece of clothing wrapped itself around his chest to take his weight before starting to pull the alarmed boy backwards across the clearing.

His feet dragging across the floor, the blond delinquent's eyes darted around when he saw trees flying by him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on?! Stop!" The instant Naruto shouted this, the scarf stopped pulling and went limp around him, causing the blond to look down at himself in panic. "Am I concussed or something? What the heck is this-OH SHIT!" His attention snapped upwards when he saw an enraged Mizuki charging at him from ahead on all fours.

With a roar the white haired man lunged at the boy, who quickly crossed his arms to take the man's tackle head-on. But just seconds before Mizuki was about to collide with him, the scarf Naruto was wearing once again came to life. Wrapping around the boy's right arm, growing and stretching to an impossible length upwards to grab the branch above them, the cloth then pulled the blond up into the canopy at a ridiculous speed, causing the Chunin to hit nothing but air and tumble across the ground.

"GAAAAAH! What in the love of Kami is happening?!" Naruto shouted as he was then deposited on a branch by his scarf, which shrunk back down to a more tolerable size with its ends hanging behind him on the wind all cool style. Looking down at the material wrapped comfortably around him, the blond stared at it for a moment before blinking. "Hang on… that sealing circle that appeared from the scroll and the shadow that came out of it… c-could it have…?" He was then cut off when he heard a scream from below and looked down.

 _ **"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PEST!"**_ an enraged Mizuki roared as he flew up at the branch to take another swing at the boy.

Expecting his attack, Naruto leapt across the way and onto another branch, watching as the Chunin punched at the branch he was previously standing on and disintegrating it. The blast of debris and splinters cascaded around the blond as he landed on another branch, where he then looked back over his shoulder to see the transformed madman chase after him in a blur.

Even with his massive size, the man was still ridiculously quick and nimble.

As he approached, Naruto took a stance and prepared to take him on. _**"I HAVE YOU NOW-OOF!"**_ Just as he was closing in, two shadows suddenly darted down from above and double-kicked the giant cat in the back. Their simultaneous impacts caused a loud thud to ring out as Mizuki was sent plummeting into the woods, crashing into the undergrowth with an earthshaking 'bang'.

Naruto blinked in surprise when he saw that it was Tayuya and Tenten that had dropped down from the canopy and kicked the man in the back, which then brought a grin to the boy's face. "I was wondering when backup was going to arrive."

Bo staff drawn, the brown haired girl perched on the same branch as Tayuya looked across at the blond and grinned. "Well… here we are."

"How did you know where to find us?" Naruto asked curiously.

At that moment his red haired roommate decided to answer, lifting a hand up to cup her ear. "You forget I have the best hearing in this village, shithead. The two of us were just on our way home when I noticed the sound of impact tremors and explosions going off behind the crowd and fireworks. So we rushed out here to check it out."

Her response had Naruto shrug. "Works for me."

Jumping through the trees, the blond and his two friends landed in the same clearing where Sakura and Tama were. Turning their attention towards the cloud of dust settling on the other side of the glade, they then saw the massive shadow of Mizuki stagger into view. Tearing through the bushes with a single swipe of his clawed hand, the striped shinobi snarled in a very tiger like manner when his eyes fell on the two newcomers joining Naruto in the field.

" _ **Great. More rats have come out to play. This is just perfect,"**_ the giant man-cat growled sarcastically.

Getting a good look at the thing that'd been attacking her roommate, Tayuya dropped into a fighting stance while Tenten, spinning her stick around her body stylishly, also took on a defensive position. "Mind telling me what the hell _that_ thing is?"

Naruto chuckled at the flute player's rather appalled question. "It's a… bit of a confusing story, so I'll try to break it down for you. When Tama sprinted off on her own from the playground, Hinata, Sakura and I followed her out here to find Sasuke being attacked by Mizuki in one of the clearings. After I beat him black and blue and broke his leg, he transformed into a giant, walking tiger… and here we are." His answer had Tayuya and Tenten look at him in bewilderment.

"Wait. Mizuki? As in the Chunin instructor from the academy?" the bun-haired kunoichi replied in shock.

" _That's_ Mizuki?!" Tayuya asked, at the same time pointing at the cat now glowering at their troops from the other side of the clearing. After taking note of the animal's head of white hair and torn shinobi pants, the flute player recoiled slightly. "Okay. Did his father like to 'experiment' with other species or something… or was he attacked by some kind of mutant cat that we don't know about."

The blond shrugged. "I'm more or less leaning towards the latter. Although the former is also quite possible." When Tenten stifled a laugh, the delinquent tightened his fists and lowered his head. "Be careful. The guy is tough. He may be large and heavy, but he's insanely quick… and he's got some pretty decent punching power."

Tayuya grunted as she unclipped the holster on her leg for a kunai. "Good to know."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Naruto looked over his shoulder at where Sakura was standing with Tama on her shoulder. When his eyes fixed on his anxious classmate, the delinquent smiled. "You alright?"

Straightening up at being addressed, the pinkette gave a brisk nod. "Uh-huh."

Hearing the walking beast stretch and crack its neck, as well as wipe off the bit of blood from its chin, a defensive Tenten glanced over at Naruto, took in his slight ragged state, before narrowing her eyes on their opponent. "Considering how big he is now, this new Mizuki looks like he's got a little more fight in him than the one I remember."

When the kunoichi made that comment, the transformed Chunin glared up at her with a deep frown. _**"A little more, huh…?"**_ Scoffing at this nonsense, an obviously peeved off Mizuki grinned madly before then suspending both hands in front of him. Palms facing together, embers of fire suddenly started to gather between his fingers until a pulsing ball of bright, orange fire appeared. The sight of the sphere of throbbing, dangerous-looking energy caused all the kids across the way to stare cautiously. _**"You may have graduated last year, Tenten-chan. But it seems your intelligence and perception hasn't improved one bit**_."

While Tenten felt a great deal of insult at that comment, an observing Sakura, noticing the ball of fire growing bigger and more volatile in Mizuki's hands, took a nervous step back. "W-What… is that light?" Even Tama was now growling irritably at it.

As the ground beneath the children started to tremble as the fireball grew in size, Mizuki then raised it above his head and allowed it to gain even more mass and size as he continued to feed chakra into it.

" _ **I've changed my mind,"**_ Mizuki stated with a wicked grin. _**"I was initially just going to kill all of you and bring the**_ **Scroll of Seals** _ **back to my master. But now I've decided I'm going to use my newfound powers to take another piece of this village with me. I will leave a mark on the face of Konoha that no other shinobi or demon in the past has ever left before, and cement myself into the history books."**_ The mass of fire hovering over him grew at an alarming rate, causing the crowd of defenders to step back once more. _**"You kids all had your assessments today; determining whether or not you were fit enough to become shinobi. Though you may have passed Iruka's screening… you have not yet passed mine. So consider this your final test."**_

Bolts of red lightning then shot off of the raging sphere, one of which cut a nearby tree in half and sent it toppling to the ground. _**"Behind you is the main boulevard leading up to the Hokage Tower and Monument. If you dodge, the attack will not only tear up the main road and any building standing in its path, but also wipe out the hidden leaf's administration center and mountain carving in its entirety. And if you try to stop it, well…"**_ A deep chuckle left his lips. _**"I'm sure you can guess what will happen next."**_ When the massive sphere of energy above him achieved critical mass, sparking and zapping loudly, the Chunin then gave the kids one last grin. _**"Pass or fail… either way you're all disqualified. Now get out of my sight!"**_ He then threw his arms forward and, allowing the ball of energy to sit in front of him for a few more seconds, launched it with a sonic boom that split the floor beneath him and pushed him back a few feet. _**"Katon: Retto-shu Hashidan!"**_ (Fire Release: Inferior Class Annihilation Shot)

Naruto and everybody else all recoiled in horror at the fiery attack flying at them like a missile. Being directly at the front of the pack, the blond glanced over his shoulder, where he saw all his friends, especially Sakura and Tama, standing in the path of the blast. So, taking a deep breath and raising his arms, he then slammed his hands together in front of him with his palms facing forward, ready to catch the attack and deflect it.

" _This… is going to sting like hell,"_ he thought, his muscles bulking up under his uniform in preparation for the intercept.

However, just seconds before the attack could collide with Naruto, a figure darted in front of the blond, catching him by surprise when he saw Hinata, jacket and shorts town with blood dripping down from her hairline, threw herself into a spin. A gale of wind that blasted off of her when her body became shrouded in blue chakra that transformed into a violently rotating ball of energy.

" _ **Hakkesho Kaiten!"**_ (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven) the girls cry of effort echoed out as the ball of hot fire launched by Mizuki collided with the twisting dome of outwardly rotating chakra.

Mizuki and everybody then looked on in astonishment as the raging ball of flames ground into Hinata's defensive wall for several seconds, with the surface of her sphere distorting ever so slightly under the pressure. With the sounds of screeching drowning the air and through the sounds of explosions and violently rumbling, the Hyuuga heiress's cry of effort echoed across the reserve.

"TH-THIS… IS… _**NOTHIIIIIIIING!**_ " After a violent tug-of-war match between the two powerful forces, the ball of flames was repelled and sent rocketing up through the canopy. Burning a clean hole through the branches and leaves above, which incinerated and turned to ash, the missile of a jutsu shot into the clouds.

Under the veil of fireworks being sent up by the celebrating villagers, a massive explosion that would've more than leveled several blocks of the hidden leaf or taken a chunk out of its famous mountain, lit up the sky with a brief second sun. The shockwaves from its sent wind blasting over the town, with the citizens all giving a collective cheer of excitement.

Obviously they all thought the explosion was just another firework. Only a handful of Jonin in the area actually paid the anomaly mind, as that was most certainly much more powerful than some household, gunpowder fueled projectile.

As the remains of the exploding attack faded into the atmosphere and rained embers down upon the village, a startled Mizuki gaped up at the night sky with wide eyes and a cold sweat.

" _ **W-What?"**_ Clearing stunned at seeing his most powerful jutsu deflected so easily, the man was so distracted by the move that he was too distracted to feel someone grab two separate bunches of his hair with both hands, before…

" _ **Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) Naruto's shout was followed by a sickening crunch and a thunderclap, as he pulled Mizuki's head forward and slammed his knee into his face. The blow almost literally caved in the man's mug under the force of his blow, the blond ripping a bunch of the Chunin's hair out by the roots as he sent his body flying back across the clearing at neck breaking speed.

Bouncing across the ground a couple of times, Mizuki eventually flipped back up and skidded to a stop in a kneeling position. Gasping in pain at having his nose crushed a second time, as well as having his jaw cracked and a few teeth knocked out, the now bloody-faced Chunin glared up to see Naruto toss away the hairs he'd ripped out. Moments later Hinata walked over to stand by the blonde's side, along with a second figure who also stepped out from the rear.

The giant tiger balked when he saw Sasuke join the duo, with half his shirt torn and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He was also smiling, indicating he was alive and well.

"Hmph. If that's all you can do, then you've earned yourself a big fat 'F' according to _my_ screening," the Uchiha stated, spitting out the blood from his mouth and wiping his chin clean on the back of his arm warmer. "You hit hard… but sadly not hard enough."

While Sakura was relieved and thrilled to see all of her classmates were alive and well, Mizuki was fuming. With blood trickling down his face, giving him extra credentials for his animalistic appearance, the white haired assailant snarled. _**"You brats made a terrible mistake,"**_ he hissed as his eyes flashed with murderous intent. _**"You wasted your only chance to die quickly and painlessly!"**_

Naruto chuckled as he then reached up and proceeded to remove his jacket, "It's good to have goals, Mizuki-sensei." As his piece of clothing slid casually to the floor, the boy gave the obviously enraged man a chipper grin. "Me… I'm having waffles after I beat you." This served to have Tayuya snicker and Sakura giggle.

Tenten meanwhile, through an amused smile, then whispered to her compatriots. "So how do we approach finishing this guy off?"

"I have a few ideas," Naruto stated, flexing his arms and cracking his knuckles hand by hand. "Go in, go hard, and go fast."

"Naruto-kun!" Hearing his name called prompted the boy to glance over his shoulder, where he saw Sakura standing by Tama and staring across at him with a determined look on her face. "His torso is much thinner compared to the rest of his body, and his arms are incredibly long! He won't be able to fight effectively at super close range, so go in deep, disable his arms, and aim for his waistline!"

When the kids looked across at their opponent to see him rise to his feet and noticed the aspects Sakura had pointed out for them, the delinquent jinchuriki looked back and gave her a thumbs up. After which he and the others went about preparing themselves. While Naruto took on his signature Muay Thai stance, Tenten positioned her pole forward, Sasuke drew a pair of kunai, Tayuya took a defensive position with both her hands extended, and Hinata removed her ruined jumper.

"Now that's what I call a plan," Hinata stated, assuming her _Juken_ stance with her palms forward, which then began to glow with a dangerous blue aura.

"Don't hold anything back guys," Naruto said, keeping his eyes fixed on their foe. "With the power he's producing, we're going to have to fight harder than we ever have."

Tayuya smirked at her roommate. "I hope you're planning on taking your own advice, shithead."

"I've been training my ass off for the last month ever since my fight with Suiro. Believe me, I don't plan on getting taken down by some wannabee demon," the delinquent responded.

Having had enough of waiting, Mizuki leaned back before launching himself forward at a considerable speed. _**"I'll slaughter you all!"**_ As his yellow form blurred towards them in a cloud of dust, the five Genin also charged.

Flanking each other in a basic formation, Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata pulled ahead. With a loud battle cry, the three prodigies leapt straight up at their foe while he lunged in with a wild swing. The blond delinquent parried the hook with both hands as the Hyuuga went low from the left with a palm strike, only to be met by Mizuki's massive forearm when he brought it up to block. What followed from there was a vicious exchange of attacks as all three newly promoted Genin began lashing out at their hulking opponent with their respective taijutsu styles, who unleashed a flurry of blows at the youngsters in kind. Shockwaves rang out when the trio duked it out with the man at long range, their attacks colliding with his fists over and over.

As the trio fought, knuckles and blows colliding and intercepting repeatedly, Mizuki then gave a bellow of rage and chopped out at Sasuke to bat him away. Reacting defensively, Hinata jumped at the arm sailing over her and parried it skywards, causing the Chunin to miss. In return the Chunin swung down at the Hyuuga with his other fist. But just as his knuckles were closing in on her, Tayuya suddenly jumped up from directly behind Hinata and drove a kunai into the man's fist, impaling his knuckles.

Mizuki gave a cry of agony and stumbled back, whereupon he was cracked across the face by Tenten jumping in with her staff. After landing that blow that left the towering Mizuki in a daze, the girl then spun her staff around her body before swinging low and taking the man's legs out from under him, dropping him onto his back.

Stunned, the Chunin then rolled out of the way when Sasuke dropped down on him from above with a kick, which impaled the floor. Jumping back up, Mizuki then attempted to reengage the children when Naruto came charging straight at him with his right fist drawn back. In an effort to take out the blond first the man-tiger drew his hand back and swung down at the child with his claws. As his attack cut towards the blond, Hinata suddenly jumped into its path and parried it with a quick burst of chakra.

Seeing the arm flying back prompted Tenten to act, who ran up alongside their opponent at a safe distance, unfurled a small scroll from behind her, and summoned a series of chains, which shot out to wrap around his forearm and the nearby tree. Mizuki gasped when he saw his arm restrained and attempted to yank it free, only for the bind to snap tight and trap him. He was so caught off guard by the maneuver that he couldn't react at all when Naruto, giving a loud battle cry, drove his fist into the man's abdominals with all his might.

A thunderclap rang out as the force generated of the hit generated a shockwave that cracked the ground and caused Mizuki to lurch forward as his stomach was caved in, a strangled cry of agony leaving his gaping mouth as he was knocked off his feet and sent blasting across the clearing. The act of which caused the chain binding him to the tree to snap.

Skidding to a stop several feet away, the man curled forward and clutched his stomach with both his arms, drool falling from his lips as he gasped in pain.

Taking advantage of the man's winded state, Naruto and the others leapt to a safe distance in the dell, with the former shouting at the top of his lungs. "SASUKE! ROAST THIS FUCKER!"

Landing in the tree above the man, the Uchiha flew through hand seals, took a deep breath, and exhaled with his head leaning forward. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) An orange jet of flames then shot out of his lips as he concentrated all of the chakra he could muster onto his target below, the mass of orange energy forming into a fireball that dropped right down on top of Mizuki.

The Chunin screamed in terror as he was hit head on by the attack, the entire area around him becoming engulfed in flames. The trees caught alight and the ground around him was melted by the sheer force of the blast, which crashed down on his position like a meteor and set the entire area ablaze. In a matter of moments, the man had been completely swallowed up by the raging inferno, with the fires from Sasuke's attack becoming so fierce that the tiger vanished from sight.

When the Uchiha finally finished feeding chakra into his blast, he and all the Genin scattered around the clearing thought for sure the man was dead. Their guards lowered as the fire started to fade and they all began to relax.

However, much to their shock, the charred form of Mizuki suddenly exploded out of the wall of flames and leapt right into the trees away from the Genin. Crying out in agony, the burnt and battle-scarred villain, his fur still simmering with flames, landed against a nearby tree before then pushing off, flying straight down towards the ground with a bellow of rage.

It was only then Naruto and the others realized he wasn't targeting them, as they saw he was now charging straight towards Sakura.

"NO!" Naruto shouted, quickly kicking off his leg weights and sprinting forward as fast as he could.

" _ **DIE GIRL!"**_ Mizuki shrieked, his claws drawing back for a strike as he saw Sakura take a defensive stance with a kunai drawn.

The next event happened instantly.

Just as the Chunin was closing in to lay the killing blow on the pinkette, with the tiny Tama jumping into the girl's path to protect her, Mizuki was suddenly hit by an unexpected paralyzing affect from out of nowhere, with the man's body slowing and going rigid midair. _**"What?"**_ His muscles seizing up, the man then became overwhelmed by the unmistakable sensation of pins and needles being driven slowly into his flesh, with the offending devices holding him in place and preventing him from moving. What's more, though at first he had no idea what was causing this sensation, when his ears finally registered to the sound of the sweet, serenading melody of a flute, the revelation became all too clear. _ **"G-Genjutsu?"**_

Hearing the music being played as well, Sasuke, Hinata and Tenten looked across the way to see Tayuya with her flute pulled out and the kunoichi in the process of playing it.

" _ **Mateki: Mugen Onsa!"**_ (Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains)

His speed leaving him, all Mizuki could do now was fall from midair as he dropped towards Sakura's position, frozen. Before Sakura and Tama could do anything, they then saw a second figure dart down to them and crash into the floor beneath him.

Driving his foot into the ground and causing the earth beneath them to shatter across the entire clearing, Naruto, who'd removed all of his weight bands to intercept Mizuki, drew back his right fist before throwing it in a full-motion uppercut. With a mighty roar, the delinquent's body powered into the attack with all the strength he could possibly muster, before his knuckles impacted the paralyzed Chunin's stomach.

" _ **Hissatsu:**_ _**Jishin Bunkatsu Ken!"**_ (Killing Blow: Quake Splitting Fist)

His blow was marked by a deafening clap of a battleship cannon being fired, as a shockwave of wind and dust exploded off of him and Mizuki, who dropped right into his attack. The amount of power behind his blow was so great that not only did the ground crack beneath them, but a hole was blown clear through the canopy above the duo from the force of Naruto's punch.

Sasuke, Hinata and everyone else all gaped across at the delinquent, who remained still where he was, locked in the concluding step of his final attack. Sakura especially, being the closest person to him, was gaping at the intense-looking blond in awe. In that moment, she saw the delinquent glance over his shoulder at her and smile.

Mizuki, his enlarged tiger body suspended over Naruto's smaller form like a blanket, hung there with his mouth agape and the boy's fist embedded in his gut for several seconds. After which the Chunin's head jerked forward and spewed up blood all over the floor, moments before the blond removed his arm and dumped the shinobi's hapless body on the ground.

As the children slowly gathered around the defeated Chunin with the fist imprint in his stomach, they watched curiously as his tiger form dissipated and he shrunk back down to normal size. His fur disappearing, the twitching, unconscious man soon reverted to his normal human form, leaving all the Genin present in a state of relief.

Grinning, Naruto raised his arm towards Tayuya and bumped forearms with her in a show of triumph.

"That was an epic move, shithead," the redhead chuckled.

"Thanks. I wouldn't have been able to use it if you hadn't stopped him with your genjutsu. Great timing." Grinning broadly, the visibly battered blond then flashed his smile to the rest of his friends without hesitation. "I guess this means we're all ready to be Genin now, huh?"

While Hinata crossed her arms and looked away, and Tenten propped her staff across both her shoulders, Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and smirked. "Hmph. I knew we were ready the moment they slipped these protectors over our heads." The Uchiha then glanced down at the defeated, half-cooked and possibly crippled Mizuki, who he then considered with a scowl. "Although, after this fight… I suppose all of us are now a step up above the rest of our peers."

At this revelation, a slightly winded Tenten breathed a heavy sigh. "Foiling an assassination attempt on an ally, saving the village from destruction, _and_ defeating a vamped up, half-crazy academy instructor?" She then ambled over to Naruto and nudged him in the shoulder. "You bet we've earned ourselves some extra points. Am I right, Goldie?"

When Naruto chuckled in response to the girl's friendly gesture, he suddenly felt something around his neck shift and heard his friends give a gasp of alarm. Looking up, the blond quickly saw that his scarf had once again come to life, with one of its ends extending to affectionately wrap around Tenten's neck and pull her towards him. The girl in question, blushing brightly when her face came to within an inch of the boy's, was now looking up at the possessed piece of clothing that had attached to her on its own accord, with its head bobbing up and down silently like a cobra.

While Naruto remained unperturbed by this development, the rest of his friends were quite alarmed.

"W-What the fuck?" Tayuya asked out loud. "Naruto… did your… scarf just come to life?" She then jumped back in alarm when the other end reached out to try and wrap around her as well.

Activating her _Byakugan_ , the nearby Hyuuga narrowed her eyes on it. "There's an unusual chakra coming off of it. I can't identify what it is."

The delinquent shrugged when he saw the other end of the cloth retract and hang in front of him, while its body remained resting around his shoulders and collar. "Yeah… I have no clue what this is all about either." He then reached up with a hand to pet it, causing his scarf to lean into his hand affectionately. "While we were fighting Mizuki and I got knocked into the woods, my hand landed on top of the giant scroll he'd been carrying. Somehow I activated a sealing circle on it, which summoned a shadow that took control of my scarf. Now _this_ is happening."

Tenten, not knowing what to do with the scarf around her neck, reached up to stroke it as well, which earned a rather warm pet from the living cloth. She then chuckled nervously. "Well… whatever it is… it sure is friendly."

Also approaching Naruto from the side, an incredibly curious Sakura looked at the living cloth with fascination, at the same time Tama came to join her. "Huh… I may be wrong here, but I think that this thing might be an _**Ittan-momen**_."

"An Ittan-what?" an observing Sasuke asked in confusion.

"An Ittan-momen. It's a _**Tsukumogami**_ … a type of artefact spirit from ancient folklore that takes the form of random household objects and tools. This one in particular possesses the body of a roll of cotton or cloth, which in the history books was said to 'fly around aimlessly through the air at night' and 'attack humans by wrapping around them and smothering their faces'," Sakura informed, causing Sasuke, Hinata and Tayuya to take a calm yet cautionary step back. The pinkette ignored this as she approached the scarf Naruto was wearing to get a closer look, and ended up petting the other end when it reached out to greet her. "This was merely a myth that originated from people who lost their clothing during fierce winds and storms, which then carried the items through the sky to land on unsuspecting travelers. But I guess… this one might be the real deal."

"Well it certainly helped me out during that fight. It literally saved my neck," Naruto chuckled, watching as his scarf reached up to rub against Sakura's cheek, who giggled at its gentle contact. The boy then turned his attention back to the fallen Mizuki. After staring at the unconscious man for several seconds, the blond nodded. "So… what do we do about this asshole?"

Looking at the body thoughtfully as well, Tayuya, Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura looked at one another. At first not quite sure where to go from there, it soon came down to one of them taking the lead, which ended up being the redheaded genjutsu master.

With a shrug, the delinquent's roommate smiled, "Prison?"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

In the middle of the village over in a massive compound, a private function was being held by the upper echelon members of Konoha. Not only was the Konoha Council there, but so was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the head members of the Uchiha Clan, a multitude of Jonin guards, and the newly elected Hokage. Of course, while a majority of these people were in a festive mood, eating dinner and having bottles of sake over some musical entertainment, the one person who still had their head on straight was Mikoto.

Sitting at her end of the table in her new Hokage robes and hat, the woman was currently having a small drink of sake and looking into a crystal ball. It was through this artefact brought out by Hiruzen the woman was able to see the events involving Mizuki and the _Scroll of Seals_ unfold, and the group of children who inevitably stopped him.

After watching the man get defeated and the children begin collecting up his body and possessions for transport, the raven haired woman cracked a smile and spoke. "Looks like things turned out fine after all." Glancing across at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was also watching from nearby with a big smile on his face, Mikoto then glanced over at the Chunin with the eyepatch who was kneeling beside her patiently and waiting for instruction. "Thank you for coming to me with this, Iwana-san. But it seems that the real culprit who stole the _Scroll of Seals_ has just been apprehended, so sending out a search party is no longer necessary."

The man recoiled and looked at the woman in surprise, "Uh… you mean… it wasn't Naruto?"

Mikoto shook her head. "No. It most certainly was not. But he _will_ be needing some help. Have a squad of shinobi and a medic-nin gather over by the Hokage Tower and prepare to take Mizuki into custody. Our newest group of Genin is bringing him in as we speak."

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Iwana stuttered, before hurriedly rising to his feet and vacating the area.

Holding up his small glass of sake, a slightly drunk looking Hiruzen beamed at Mikoto. "That was cutting it awfully close, don't you think? Mizuki almost ended up doing some series damage to a small portion of the village, yet you seemed so calm about it. Do you think it was wise not to send a squad out to assist them?"

The head of the Uchiha Clan looked back at him. "Even if I had mobilized the forces on standby, they wouldn't have been able to find Sasuke or coordinate themselves in time to stop Mizuki from flying off the register and attempting to blow up the Hokage Monument. With how quickly things escalated from the start of the fight, there was no way we would've been able to do anything to prevent this. Besides…" Turning back to the surveillance ball to see Naruto and Sasuke hoist Mizuki over their shoulders while Tenten collected the Scroll of Seals, Mikoto allowed a smile to stretch across her lips. "I believe that this was a trial that Naruto-kun and his friends had to overcome for themselves. After everything that has transpired tonight and the battle that they'd waged, I now know that they are ready to face whatever challenges may come their way. For that… I will place my complete faith and trust in them."

And that was the truth.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Still have a bit of edging out to do, some spelling and grammar checking, and some corrections, but all in all this was exactly the direction I wanted this arc to go.

I've included a few additions. **Aside from Mizuki's power up from the anime** , we also see Naruto and his friends working together, which shows exactly what level they're on. Sasuke had consistently proved himself to be as strong as a Chunin level shinobi, even in the early stages of the manga, and with Naruto and Hinata there, that meant they were teaming up against someone who was far tougher than that.

They still have a ways to go in growth, but I'm sure it will all work out in the end. For all those still wondering about a few details, Naruto mostly uses taijutsu. Considering how strong he is now and where his growth is taking place, I doubt he will need any.

Now, I'd like to pose this question to you all.

Who should end up on which team together? Though I already know where I'm going with this, everyone place your bets. Make this a little more fun.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and hope to see you in the next one.


	12. Graduation Arc - Team Lottery

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Team Lottery_

(That night)

In the Emergency Wing of the Konoha Hospital, in a closed off, sterilized room surrounded by medical equipment, stainless steel cupboards, and machinery, the body of a thoroughly beaten-up Mizuki could be seen lying on an operating table under a bright light. With a green sheet laid over him and cut open to expose his blackened stomach and the fist-imprint embedded in his abdominal area, the man's chest heaved up and down uneasily, while the various leads and tubes attached to him kept his body from clocking out.

Following the massive skirmish that'd taken place in the village's reserve, the Chunin was then hastily dragged all the way across town to the hidden leaf's primary medical facility. There, after being handed over to the authorities by the children he'd previously sought out to kill, the former academy instructor was then rushed into the operating room and placed under anesthesia. From there, after the medical ninja checked his vital signs and made sure his condition was stable, the doctors and nurses then left to ready themselves for the procedure to come.

This left Mizuki alone in the room under the watch of the heart monitors and drip feeds, as well as the one guard posted outside his room. From the condition of his body, as well as the fact that his chest was struggling to draw each breath, it was clear that even with the aids already provided to him he was still in a pretty rough shape.

A single misstep in his care could mean the difference between life and death.

About a minute after the doctors left the room to clean themselves up at the washing station, the shinobi guard who'd been standing by the door, suddenly turned and entered the chamber. Quietly waltzing over to the comatose Mizuki, the man in the standard shinobi uniform stopped by the operating table and leaned into the light.

When he did, he revealed the smug, bespectacled face of one Kabuto Yakushi; the same man that Mizuki had met earlier that evening on the bridge.

With a wide smile, the grey-haired young male allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "My, my, Mizuki-kun… what in the world happened to you? You look terrible."

Despite his confident remarks, he received no response from Mizuki. All he got were a couple of low wheezes and the same, pained expression on the man's unconscious face.

Looking him over, Kabuto shook his head with pity, especially when his eyes ghosted over the fist-imprint and the blackened bruise over the Chunin's stomach, which clearly indicated multiple broken bones and ruptured internal organs. "It's ironic. You had so much confidence in your ability to kill young Sasuke-kun and yet, even with the _Cursed Seal's_ full power at your disposal, you still ended up in such a miserable state." He then looked back at the man's face with an unfeeling gaze. "What are we ever going to do with you?"

Again, no answer.

For the next few seconds Kabuto stood there, listening to the beeping of the heart monitor in the background, while also glancing about the room. Knowing that it wouldn't be long before the doctors and nurses returned to begin the operating, the boy in the glasses glanced back at Mizuki and smiled.

"Though I am more than capable of saving your life right now, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to spill any of our secrets to the enemy," the young man said, as he quickly reached into his pocket and rummaged about for something. "Your knowledge of the location of Orochimaru's hide outs and the identities of his spies can prove detrimental to our plans in the future, should that information fall into the wrong hands. That being said, I can only see one course of action to take here… and I offer you my sincerest apologies for what I'm about to do."

The man then withdrew his hand, pulling with him a liquid-filled syringe that he then carefully poked into the tube leading into the man's arm, and squeezed the contents into it. As the transparent liquid slowly bled into the tube, a sinister look crossed the man's eyes as he heard the beeping of the heart monitor speed up and saw Mizuki's body twitch under the sheets.

"I'd also like to say your years of service and sacrifice have proven invaluable to our master's cause… but that would be a bald face lie," Kabuto whispered, the heart monitor speed up even more as Mizuki's face scrunched up with discomfort. "However, even if you were just a carrier of a _Cursed Seal_ prototype, your fight with Sasuke-kun, Naruto-san, and Hinata-chan proved to be a very enlightening experiment… and for that I thank you." As Mizuki's expression slowly relaxed, the bespectacled man finished emptying the syringe into the tube. "I'm sure Orochimaru-sama will be very pleased to hear the information that _I_ have to report."

Moments later, the rapid beeping transformed into a single, long beep, as Mizuki's expression went limp and all his vital signs flat lined…

XXX

(The next morning)

The chaos that'd transpired last night had been a mishmash of excitement, joy, intrigue, and terror. Never in his entire life had Naruto ever experienced such a series of high octane events in a single evening before. The same could be said for his friends. However, through a combination of courage, tenacity, teamwork, and no short amount of good fortune, all of them had managed to pull ahead with only a few bumps and scrapes on their persons, and could be mended with a day or so of rest.

The cracked bones on the other hand were a different story, which ended in Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata spending most of the following night being looked after by the staff at the hospital. Though the former complained more about his injuries compared to the other two cucumbers as a way of drawing attention to his heroics, which garnered the usual teasing from both Tenten and Tayuya and some rather smug remarks from the Uchiha, there really wasn't anything distressing to worry about. All of their wounds were minor and easy to repair. That meant that by the early hours of the morning, all three children were allowed to return to their homes and loved ones.

Before leaving, Naruto ended up inquiring to the hospital staff about their opponent Mizuki's condition.

As it turns out, the injuries the man had sustained the night before were far worse than they were originally assessed. Not only had he ended up with severe burns and muscles tears, but the punch that the jinchuriki had delivered to his stomach had ruptured his internal organs and completely destroyed his spine. The drawback from the Cursed Seal he'd used in that fight meant that his body was too weak to make it to the operation.

Mizuki had ended up dying early that morning.

Honestly, it was quite a hefty blow to Naruto's chest, finding out that he was responsible for the death of a Chunin, one who had previously been a member and shinobi of their village. Seeing as how tough and durable he was in his transformed state, the blond figured that the man would've just been incapacitated by the blow and walked away with only a handful of internal injuries. But, as luck would have it, things didn't turn out that way, and he ended up dying unceremoniously on a hospital table.

It was funny. The man had regarded himself so highly as a ninja and displayed a monstrous level of power, and yet he ended up going out in the most anti-climactic way imaginable. Though there were few people who could pick and choose where they were going to bow out, Mizuki had literally no choice in the matter.

Up until that point, the worst Naruto had ever done was send a couple of kids to the hospital with a couple of broken ribs and concussions, but he'd never actually _killed_ anyone before. Since he started on his journey as a delinquent, he was always careful to make sure his fights never went that far and that his opponents were always able to walk away at the end. The experience with Mizuki however showed him how fickle a real fight could actually be, which in turn opened his eyes to the ninja world as a whole. When he and Tayuya finally returned to their apartment and settled down for a few more hours of sleep before the start of school, he made a mental note to himself to be more careful in the future.

As it now stood, his fists had the power to either save or take away another person's life. This was something Naruto would have to take into consideration moving forward as a Genin and, by extension, an active shinobi of _Konohagakure_.

By the rise of the morning sun, Naruto and Tayuya had managed to catch a reasonable three hours of sleep, from which they woke up feeling lively, excited and just a little bit groggy. Being ninja in training they'd both learnt to go on with several days of little to no bedrest, allowing them to jump out of bed as fast as they were able.

Cutting it close to their usual school time, they, along with the rest of their friends from their year level, promptly made their way to the academy for team assignments.

"Alright. Ten to one odds… Shikamaru is going to end up on a team with both Ino and Choji," Naruto stated. Wearing his fur white jacket with blue trim, blue pants, and his new-and-improved blue scarf- the _**Ittan-momen**_ he'd affectionately named _**Aijo**_ \- wrapped comfortably around his neck, the youngster with the patches on his cheeks and bandages around his hand nudged his roommate in the side playfully, causing a resting Tama on his shoulder to look up momentary before going back to sleep. "I mean. Come on. It's so obvious they're going to be placed with each other, considering all of their past relatives have been put in the same squads."

"Exactly. Which is why I'm not too keen on taking that bet," Tayuya, clad in the maroon varsity jacket and spandex shorts replied with a sour look on her face. "There's no way I'm gambling against something that's a hundred percent going to happen. Come on. Pick another group to bet on."

"Alright. What about Kiba?" Naruto asked with a curious expression. "Eight to one, he gets placed on a team with Kurumi and Shino."

Tayuya glanced upward for a moment and shrugged. "That could work. Kiba is a great close range fighter, Shino has a good set of long and middle range techniques under his belt, and Kurumi has a strong dōjutsu and a list of other effective techniques. Not to mention the three of them are amazing trackers."

"Yeah. One has a great nose, the other a good set of eyes, and another can communicate with the little creatures living in his environment," Naruto thought out-loud, at the same time glancing down at his hand. "I can sense presences at a good distance, but that's limited to just over a mile. That's something I'm going to have to work on over the next couple of months." His friend Tama responded to this with a cheerful bark.

"Well, if you're gambling on _that_ trio being put on a team together, then I'm upping the stakes and betting ten to one it's Hinata going on that team. Not Kurumi," Tayuya replied while looking ahead of her with a smug grin. "That girl's a fucking powerhouse, so she'll definitely be able to reel in the dog and the walking entomology lesson."

"You're on," Naruto said, reaching over with his hand and shaking his roommate's as a sign of confirmation. Once they released one another from their grips, the blond then had another thought. "So, how do you want to do this? Push-ups? Chin-ups? Laps?"

"Nah. That currency is getting kind of stagnant now. How about we do something a little bit different this time… just to mix things up?" Tayuya replied, slipping her hands back into her pockets while thinking up a prize for their wagering. "A punishment that's more painful and psychological than harsh exercises."

"What? Like a public singing competition or a nude-run?"

"No. But those are really good options. Hang onto them."

Just as the pair were in the process of discussing options, they were suddenly interrupted by a sight further up the road, which caused them to stop. What both Naruto and Tayuya saw, much to their surprise, was the familiar form of Sakura, her back turned to them, and a group of about twelve or so delinquent boys a couple years older than her surrounding the pinkette. All of them dressed in typical street clothing, a couple of the older teenagers could be seen wearing _Konoha_ headbands with scratches all over their protectors, indicating that they'd been hacked and slashed by their owners to indicate that they were drop-outs from the academy.

Of course, while the sight would have normally thrown some people off, when Naruto and Tayuya recognized the boys as a gang that they'd crossed paths with sometime before, the pair simply shared a smirk with each other and marched forward. In addition to this, the red-haired flute player cracked her knuckles on both hands in preparation for the confrontation to come.

Sakura meanwhile was both frustrated and worried. Glancing between the gang of young males surrounding her and taking note of their collection of sly expressions, the newly graduated Genin was unable to find a way out of her predicament. Though the kunoichi had the option of forcing her way out of this or jumping over them, when she noticed that some of the boys were wearing Konoha headbands and were armed with kunai, she figured that getting out of this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

So, with these two options being a big no-go, Sakura had no choice but to try and resolve this peacefully.

"Can you guys please move out of the way? I don't have time to be screwing around with you right now?" the pinkette asked in an aggravated tone of voice, which caused the hoodlums to snicker.

"Aww. What's the matter, cutie? You got somewhere else more important to be?" one of the Genin dropouts asked in a mocking tone of voice.

In typical Sakura fashion, the girl crossed her arms and puffed her chest out in an attempt to look big, despite the fact that the boys surrounding her were easily a head and a half taller. "As a matter of fact, I do. So why don't you all just beat it and leave me alone?"

"Or what?" another boy asked with a sneer.

"You gonna pull out some of your hot-shot, fancy ninja skills on us? Maybe some of the stuff they taught you at the academy?"

"Most of our group came out of the academy too, pinky. So there really isn't a lot you can do that can surprise us," another kid in a hooded jumper and fishnet armor spoke. When he saw Sakura glance at him with a nervous glint in the corner of her eye, the lanky boy stepped forward with his hands in his pockets. "What, you think you're better than us just because you wear a Konoha headband and you graduated in front of the entire village next to the new Hokage?"

"Yeah, pretty much," a cocky, girl's voice spoke from behind.

Immediately every single male in the circle surrounding Sakura, including the pinkette herself, turned in the direction of the newcomer.

"Huh? Who the fuck said that?" the leader of the group, a male in a yellow jacket, scratched-out headband and torn jeans spoke, only to then freeze up with the rest of his cronies when he saw exactly who was standing behind them.

Flanking one another like a couple of outlaws, the clad-in-blue Naruto and the headset wearing Tayuya stood there smirking across at the band of twelve or so older boys, all of whom they noticed had paled somewhat upon recognizing who they were. When they saw the males standing closest to them backpedal a couple of paces while breaking out into nervous sweats, the pair of youngsters knew immediately that they had their full and undivided attention, which then led into Naruto giving them an upward, yet courteous nod.

"Sup'?"

His greeting was followed up by a bark from Tama lying comfortably on his shoulder.

" _ **N-N-N-Naruto and Tayuya-aniki!"**_ several of the delinquents shouted fearfully in sync.

"The two toughest delinquents in the village!"

"The Gold and Red Foxes!" another of the boys yelled, causing Sakura in the middle to look between the boys in confusion.

"Hiya, boys," Tayuya spoke, at the same time eyeing the shivering males mischievously. "Is there a… problem over here?"

In an instant, all twelve delinquents leapt away from Sakura and, forming into four marching columns on the road, straightened up and bowed to the pair of children, before the leader of the pack responded.

"P-Problem? Heh. There are no problems, Tayuya-aniki," the leader of the gang, who'd placed himself at the head of the center column, replied politely to the Genin.

"Yeah. Th-There's nothing bad or underhanded going on in this area."

"Really?" Naruto asked, his smile growing as he looked up at Sakura to see the girl was gaping at them. "Because from the looks of it, you fellas were just about to lynch my close friend and classmate."

"Y-Your friend?" one of the other males in a purple bandana spoke, at the same time looking up at the two kids to see them staring at him. "W-W-We had no idea pinky here was your fri-GAH!" He was promptly silenced by the leader of the gang grabbing him by the head and forcing him back down.

In turn, the lead teenager in the yellow jacket, who was easily two heads taller than Naruto, then spoke with a nervous smile. "What my compatriot is trying to say, aniki, is that we just noticed the young lady over here was looking a little bit lost… glancing around at the shops and mumbling to herself. S-So we decided to come over to see if we could help her out."

"My… that's awfully nice of you guys," Tayuya murmured, before then looking across at Sakura to give her a suspicious smile. "Is this true?" She and Naruto then stifled a laugh when they saw sweaty begin pouring down the faces of every single delinquent in the four columns in front of them.

Blinking in confusion as she looked back at Naruto and Tayuya, the completely overwhelmed kunoichi looked back at the band of ruffians and punks. When she saw that all of them were practically trembling in their boots and doing everything in their power not to piss off the two children they were obviously frightened of, Sakura immediately took pity on them. Partly out of the goodness of her heart and partly out of her own sense of nervousness, the kunoichi nodded.

"Yes. It's true. I was spacing out while I was heading up to the academy. These guys thought something was wrong and walked over from the convenience store over there to see if they could lend me a hand," she said, at the same time pointing across at what was obviously a pub sitting on the other side of the road.

It didn't escape her notice when the entire gang of hoodlums exhaled at once.

Deciding to let this one slide, Naruto then cracked a smile. "Well, that's good to hear. Because if these guys were trying to gang up on you and muscle you over for less than honorable reasons… heh, I wouldn't have hesitated to turn each and every one of them into human pretzels. Don't know how that would work, but I'm sure I would've found a way." The laugh he added at the end had all the boys in front of him gulp as their sweat ran cold. "Thank Kami I don't have to spend the extra five minutes." After considering the gang of older teenagers for a moment, the blonde then turned to look at Tayuya thoughtfully. "Since we forgot to pack lunches for this morning, what do you feel like having for recess today, Tay-chan?"

While the gang of hoodlums and Sakura looked at Naruto in confusion, an equally amused Tayuya tapped her chin. "An orange juice, pulp, with rice balls and a tuna sandwich with lettuce, tomato and relish."

"Neat. White or wholegrain?"

"Wholegrain. White bread makes me feel bloated. You know that."

Nodding in understanding, Naruto looked back at the boys in front of him with a smirk. "You heard the lady. Fish on a regular and orange juice. And I'll have the same thing, but with char siu buns instead of rice balls." When he saw the gang staring back at him in confusion, the blonde frowned and nodded down the road. "Go on. Chop-chop."

Snapping back up when they realized they were being given an order, the gang leader and his friends all turned and sprinted off down the road and past the newly promoted Genin. _**"Right away, Naruto-aniki!"**_ Naruto and Tayuya didn't even bother to move as the terrified boys rushed frantically around them.

"We'll expect them to be delivered at the academy by nine." Following them with his eyes, the blonde delinquent then shouted after them. "Remember, Sato! Wholegrain! _Not_ whole wheat! Whole wheat is not the same as wholegrain, Sato! _Do not_ come at me with whole wheat!" His shout was immediately emphasized by a loud bark from Tama.

An equally grinning Tayuya followed up her roommate's shout with one of her own. "And if I find a single bit of spit or hair in any of our sandwiches, I will start doing choke-hold exercises in descending alphabetical order until I'm satisfied!"

Figuring that they'd managed to get their point across, both Naruto and Tayuya turned their attention back to Sakura to find her staring at them with a somewhat flabbergasted expression. When she realized they were staring at her moments later, the girl snapped back into reality.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a soft smile and his hands on his hips. "They didn't try to get frisky with you, did they?"

Looking tentatively back at the kindly blonde, a nervous Sakura ran her fingers over her ear and responded. "N-No. Not at all. They just came out of nowhere and blocked the road off ahead of me. My guess is that they were trying to psyche me out and stop me from getting to the academy, seeing as how they knew I'd graduated from yesterday's ceremony along with the rest of you guys."

Rolling her eyes, Tayuya crossed her arms. "That's typical. For the past year those punks were always causing problems for the kids and freshmen at the academy- and not just the shopkeepers. I figured they would've learned their lesson the first time we kicked their asses."

"Well, that's going to change right now," Naruto stated while turning towards his red haired friend. "Starting tomorrow, you and I are going to deliver a heavy dose of reality in the form of ass-kickings, arm bars, and improvised nose-jobs. We're going to let these delinquents know who the two top dogs are around here, and after we do, we're going to crown ourselves the underground king and queen of these back streets." He then gave an upward nod to Tayuya. "Are you with me on this?"

"To the end of the world and beyond, shithead," the flute player answered, raising her fist and bumping knuckles with her flat mate. They then proceeded to do their secret, best-friend handshake; a hand slap and a reverse, finger twiddle, double-beat to the chest, followed by a finger snap and a Hail Mary.

Turning his attention back to their fellow graduate, Naruto then posed her a simple question. "So… would you like a proper escort up to the tower, Sakura-chan?"

Taking a moment, the pinkette responded to the delinquent with an enthusiastic smile. "Yeah. That would be awesome." Just when Naruto and Tayuya started to move, Sakura quickly spoke up again. "Uh… wait a second. Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

Feeling his gaze had the girl in the red battle dress shuffle on the spot anxiously with her fingers locked together. But despite her state, Sakura wasn't at all put-off and mustered up the courage to address the boy with a formal and sincere statement. "About what happened last night… and the fight with Mizuki in the reserve… I… I was really shocked when I found out that you were the jinchuriki of the _Kyuubi no Yoko_. After everything I'd heard about it, from my parents and our teachers, I thought right out the gate that you were suddenly going to transform into the giant fox and attack us… and I was scared." Allowing this to sink in, the new kunoichi took a deep breath and gave the boy a warm smile. "But after thinking about it and hearing what everyone had to say, I quickly realized that you're nothing like the Kyuubi… and that you're just an ordinary guy with a strong heart and a kind smile. I was stupid to ever doubt you and I'm sorry."

Taking in everything his classmate had to say, Naruto, Tama and Tayuya exchanged looks, before the delinquent turned back to the girl and beamed. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sakura-chan. It was a big surprise for all of you guys."

"The fact is- none of the other kids in our class or the village knows that Naruto is a jinchuriki. The only people who know are the adults and seniors. They just don't talk about it because of a law passed down by the Third Hokage to keep the whole thing tight-lipped," Tayuya added, before thumbing towards her roommate. "This guy didn't even know he had the damn fox inside him until about three… four years ago."

"R-Really?" The surprised Sakura looked across at Naruto in amazement, where she quickly saw the boy nod in conformation of this truth. "Wow. And… how did you find out about it?"

"An old friend of my parents'. She told me everything she knew about the night I got the Kyuubi and why nobody ever talks about it…" His expression then scrunched up into one of confusion as he looked down at himself. "That is… if I even have it to begin with?"

Now it was Sakura's moment to appear confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Sighing, Naruto then reached up and scratched the top of his head. "The truth is, nobody knows what really happened to the Kyuubi. After the night of the attack, the Nine-Tails just up and disappeared after the Fourth Hokage did some sort of weird jutsu. Jiji thought it was best to stick to the story that it's inside me, so that I can act as a deterrent to other villages thinking about attacking us."

Noticing the slightly stunned expression on Sakura's face, Tayuya proceeded to elaborate. "Think about it. If Konoha's enemies ever found out that we no longer have the Nine-Tails in our possession… that is, if somebody accidentally blabs about it to someone else outside of our circle of friends… how long do you think it would take for one of the other big five to swoop in and attack us with their full arsenal? We'd be pretty much screwed… both from in front and behind."

This news actually caused Sakura's face to pale, as the prospects of being invaded by another village and having all of her friends and neighbors wiped out in the ensuing panic sent a cold chill running throughout her body. It was at that moment that the pinkette fully realized the gravity of the situation and the real reason why all of this information was kept hush. Looking back up at Naruto a few seconds later, a sudden wave of sympathy for the blond flooded through her, as she also saw for the first time the real burden the boy was carrying.

He wasn't just shouldering the fact that he didn't have a family or a good standing with a majority of the village, but he was also the reason why their village has remained standing for the past seven years. Being entrusted with this duty, without his knowledge or consent, only seemed to make this task even harder.

Almost instantly, Sakura felt a greater level of respect and admiration for the blond.

"So, to sum it all up, if any of the people who know about this information blabs to someone else in or outside of the village, it could mean all-out war or death for every one of us," Naruto informed, at the same time regarding Sakura with seriousness and intent.

"And only you, Tayuya-san, and a handful of other people know about this? Including the Hokage?" Sakura asked, wanting to confirm this for herself that this was true.

"That's right," the redheaded flute player said while crossing her arms. "And all of this is super-secret, highly classified S-Rank information."

"And now you know as well. That makes you the fifth person," Naruto concluded with a poised tone to give his words more impact. Watching Sakura's reaction told him that his statement definitely hit home and, after waiting a moment for everything to sink in, placed his hands on his hips and shrugged. "That's pretty much everything that we know about the Kyuubi. So… what now, Sakura-chan?"

There was a moment of pause. After glancing down at her feet thoughtfully, Sakura looked back up, smiled, and walked over to where Naruto was standing with a renewed spring in her step. "Easy. We keep being friends." She then reached forward and took the boy's hand, which she clasped gently between hers as she gazed warmly into his cool blue eyes. "It doesn't matter whether or not you're a jinchuriki, Naruto-kun. Since we're going to be working as ninja for the same village, I'd really like to spend more time getting to know you better. That is… if you're okay with that."

A laugh left Naruto's lips as he grinned heartily back at the pinkette. "Of course I am. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sakura's eyes twinkled with sincerity. "And I promise to keep the fact that you're the Kyuubi's jinchuriki a secret." She then winked at him. "You have my word."

This filled the blond with a comforting warmth that had him exhale. "That means everything to me, Sakura-chan … seriously. Thank you."

Just as the slightly red-faced Sakura's smile widened and an intently watching Tayuya raised an eyebrow at the pair's interaction, the group was suddenly interrupted when Naruto, lurching forward in surprise, heard the cheerful giggle of a wide-awake Ino fill his ear. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw that the blonde girl from the Yamanaka Clan had leapt onto his back and playfully wrapped her arms around his neck, suspending her off of the ground with her full bodyweight on the delinquent's sturdy form.

"Morning, Naruto-kun!" Ino chirped in her usual, boisterous tone, which drew a surprised blink from the boy in question. "Wow. How lucky is it that I ran into you guys out here? And I thought you and Tayuya would be somewhere else in the middle of training."

"Oh. Morning, Ino-chan," Naruto chuckled, not straining in even the slightest as the girl hung off of him like a backpack. "Yeah. We decided to sleep in for a change instead of hanging out on the grove. After all the partying we did last night, both of us were bushed."

The cute Genin's delighted expression then transformed into one of confusion as Ino then posed the boy another question. "By the way, I just saw a group of delinquents running down the road crying and wailing with each other over 'what shop Naruto and Tayuya-aniki like to get their bread from.' Wanna tell me what that was all about?"

OOO

(A little while later)

For the most recent graduating group of this year's latest batch of Genin, they can admit they'd seem some very unusual stuff over their many semesters attending school. Learning new jutsu and techniques aside, they'd seen Kiba Inuzuka shuffle in with a flea collar around his neck, Tayuya leading a line of a dozen field mice with her flute, Sasuke practicing how to untie himself from rope while submerged inside a fish tank, Naruto walking in with some kind of new bruise or broken limb, and more.

However, the strangest thing that everyone had ever witnessed in that room appeared later that morning, when a gang of delinquents came bearing offerings to both Naruto and Tayuya, both of whom sat with cool expressions on their faces as their lunches were laid out before them. After inspecting the presents and assessing them to be worthy, the pair of infamous brawlers then dismissed the gang, who bowed humbly on hands and knees, and crawled backwards out the front door in an orderly fashion.

"We'll see you guys and the other gangs this afternoon at the warehouse district after class," Naruto told Sato and his hoodlums as they scuttled away. "And remember, we want every one of you to be there. _Every_ _one_. Got it?!"

" _ **Yes, Naruto-aniki!"**_

The performance not only had all the children already present staring in silence, but also had a few of them snicker a little.

Upon seeing the line of older boys crawl out of the room, Shikamaru, wandering down to the aisle where Naruto and Tayuya were sitting with their newly acquired goods laid out in front of them, looked down at them oddly. "Okay. Level with me. Did you two get into a fight with a couple of Yakuzu gang leaders after the party and take over their organization last night, or what?"

Sasuke, who was also sitting in the same row as them, glanced across at them while his chin remained situated on his fingers.

Looking at each other, the pair then smiled, before the flute-player smirked up at the Nara. "What do you think, Shika-chan?"

Shikamaru sighed, as he figured they were going to play this kind of game with him. "Looking at your backgrounds- and the fact that you can pretty much kick the crap out of everything and anything that happens to cross your path- it wouldn't surprise me one bit if you actually got yourselves involved in that kind of trouble and came out ahead." His statement actually had the duo's grins widen considerably.

"Well, as much as we want to say that we did, that's not what actually happened," Naruto replied, folding his arms and leaning back in his seat while his friend Tama lay comfortably on the desk in front of him, snoring away. "We just bumped into those guys on the way to class and scared them into getting us some snacks for today."

"Oh. Okay," Shikamaru replied while pocketing his hands. "That makes a lot more sense."

This remark had Tayuya's grin widen. "Don't worry though. Naruto and I have got a lot of big plans in store for those hoods. So after we're done reigning them in, you're going to see a whole new side of Konoha's dark underbelly."

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Shikamaru's head at the looks he saw reflected on the pair's faces. "I feel very sorry for the poor saps who end up caught in your crosshairs," he mumbled.

After Shikamaru left the pair to his own devices, a normal atmosphere once again settled over the entire class. With all the students still scattered about the place and mingling in their respective circles or pairs, they then spent the next half an hour waiting patiently for Iruka to come and start the homeroom.

As it was to be expected, every single one of the kids present was waiting with baited breath and jumbled nerves, as this was the day that they were all going to be assigned to their teams. Since last night, each student had had plenty of time to reflect on their futures and who they would likely be paired up with.

While most of them just wanted to be placed with someone they liked, only a couple of them knew that there personal preferences will only be one of the many factors taken into account. Those who were considering the situation logically knew that the teachers and the staff organizing their teams would be considering every aspect of their characters, skills and strengths, and who would be best suited to be fitted into a certain group.

These people included Hinata and Shino, the former of whom was sitting up in her back row with her arms crossed and her eyes closed in meditation.

As the clamor in the class carried on, Kiba, who was wandering about at his own leisure, came upon Naruto's aisle and stopped beside them with a confused expression in play. "Hey, Naruto. I just noticed you, Hinata and Sasuke are all covered in bandages… almost like you spent a whole hour beating the crap out of each other. What the heck happened to you guys yesterday?"

Clicking his tongue, Naruto leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "Man. What _didn't_ happen? After the party, the three of us decided to hit the town for some games of ball toss and darts at the stalls. When we passed up on the gold-fish scooping booth, we decided to make a bet to see who could toboggan down the hill faster on a wok."

Hearing this had Sasuke stare oddly across at his classmate. _"That is literally the lamest excuse I have ever heard him make."_ What was he? Five years old?

However, against all odds, a completely understanding Kiba looked at Naruto in surprise. "Really? Wow. That must've been some serious tobogganing."

When Tayuya decided to chime in, Sasuke thought she was going to help straighten his story up. But…

"Oh, it was super intense," the redhead said, causing Sasuke to mentally slap himself in the face. She then leaned across to the Inuzuka and, after glancing towards the back of the room warily, whispered into his ear. "You should've seen Hinata racing. She was like a fucking wild animal. It was awesome." Her comment caused Naruto to stifle a snicker.

"No kidding. Damn. I wish I could've been there," Kiba exclaimed, at the same time receiving an encouraging bark from Akamaru perched atop his head. The boy then looked over at Sasuke, who looked as though he was ready to slam his head into the desk. "What about you, man? Did you race your ass off against these two adrenaline junkies?"

Not seeing any other way out of this, Sasuke, taking a deep breath, looked up, and put on a very forced smile. "Oh yeah. I won… three times."

"Righteous," Kiba chirped, raising a hand for a high-five, which the Uchiha reluctantly and rather painfully gave.

While the kids were busy chatting it up, and Tayuya and Naruto were having a laugh, up in the top row the kids gathered around the back all leaned away from the very murderous presence that was building between them. Looking towards the source, a nervous Shino, Ino and Ami saw Hinata, bathed in a black aura, glaring daggers down at the group while her long, elegant fingernails dug into the wood of her desk. The fact she also had her _**Byakugan**_ activated made her look even more terrifying.

" _One of these days…"_ the Hyuuga heiress thought as she focused all of her ire on Tayuya, _"I am going to murder that girl in her sleep… and rescue Naruto-kun from her corruptive influence."_

"So…" Kiba began again on a new topic as he looked across the row at his three friends, "What teams do you think you three are going to end up on? Any guesses?"

Looking at each other, Naruto, Tayuya and Sasuke all shrugged.

"Don't know," the redhead replied.

"We have a few ideas, but we're still trying to figure out a punishment for the bets we want to make against each other," the blonde followed-up, once again moving back to the topic he and Tayuya had been discussing on the way over. "Whoever's wrong gets to pay the piper."

"Ah. Not going for the push-ups or super-intense exercise routines anymore?" Kiba asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Nah. This time we want to do something a little more crude and embarrassing to the person who loses," Tayuya said, scratching her head as she then held up a hand. "But not _too_ embarrassing. We don't want to end up hurting each other's feelings. Quick and mildly painful. Something that hits hard, but still gets the point across."

While Naruto was busy rubbing his chin over the puzzle while Sasuke was quietly listening in, Kiba then perked his head up and snapped his fingers. "Hey. I have an idea." He then pointed down at the pair with a keen grin. "Slap bet."

Naruto's eyes lit up as he looked back at Kiba excitedly. "Aaw! Slap bet! The other kids at the orphanage used to do that all the time!"

Looking between the excited trio of Genin, Sasuke frowned deeply. "What the hell's a 'slap bet'?"

Kiba gestured between Naruto and Tayuya. "Basically whoever wins gets to slap the other person in the face as hard as they possibly can- but no brass knuckles or rings." When he added that at the end, he saw the flute player punch the air in disappointment.

An intently listening Sakura, who was sitting in the row behind the trio, stared at Kiba strangely. "Are you guys really going to do that? That sounds so immature."

Turning around, Naruto gave the girl a grin. "You can be _Slap-Bet Commissioner_."

"Ooh! I love it!" Sakura cheered, at the same time sitting forward eagerly. "What are my powers?"

"If a problem arises and we need a ruling, that's _your_ job. Just remember that every single issue and conflict needs to be resolved through slaps, the quantity of which is determined by the degree of the subject in question," Naruto informed, causing Sasuke to look at the blond strangely as he'd never heard him use so many complicated terms in a single sentence before.

"But… you have to be _unbiased_ ," Kiba added with a serious look on his face, "And put the integrity of slap-bet above all else. This is an honor that you will take with you to your grave. On your tombstone it will read: _Sakura Haruno- caring wife, loving friend_ … S _lap-Bet Commissioner_." Upon putting that thought into her head, the Inuzuka looked on in amusement as the eager Sakura grinned excitedly at the prospect.

Sasuke, rolling his eyes at the enthusiasm being displayed by the kids next to him, stared ahead of him at the blackboard. "This is stupid…"

Hearing his rival loud and clear, Naruto stared at the Uchiha for a moment before shooting him a very foxlike grin. "On Sasuke's tombstone it will read: _Got slapped by Naruto Uzumaki so hard he died_."

Tayuya, Kiba and Sakura then watched and waited to see how Sasuke would react to the blonde's taunt. Several seconds of seeing the boy's eye and shoulder twitch under the delinquent's mischievous stare, the group then smiled in satisfaction when they saw the raven haired youngster turn and glare back at the blonde. The intensity in his gaze more-or-less confirmed that the boy was not going to be outdone.

"You really want to do this, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smirked back at his classmate. "Oh yeah."

The Uchiha huffed. "Alright then. You're on." He then turned and faced the blond with a fierce look in his eyes. "Who do you think will end up on a team together? Name them."

Thinking on it for a moment and looking around the class, Naruto then cracked a big one and rested his arm on the desk. " _You_ … _me_ … and Sakura-chan." His answer had everyone sitting around him look at him and make a simultaneous 'ooh' sound.

"That's a bold call," Kiba commented from his place in the aisle, earning a 'yip' of agreement from Akamaru.

"Are you sure you want to bet those three, shithead?" Tayuya asked, watching as her roommate looked back at her with a confident smile. "You do realize that he's going to slap you if you're wrong."

"Yeah… but when it comes to betting on anything involving _myself_ , I've always had a surprising knack for winning," the jinchuriki explained, at the same time glancing back at his raven haired rival. Seeing him glaring back at him through the patches slapped on his cheeks, the equally fired-up Naruto smirked. "So… what's it going to be, Sasuke?"

Taking a moment to consider the boy's wager, the Uchiha then took a deep breath and smirked. "Fine. I bet you, Kurumi and Shikamaru will end up on the same team."

"Why them?" Tayuya asked curiously.

"Lazy bones and the dobe get along really well together. Not only does Shikamaru have a good head on his shoulders, but he'll definitely be able to put the idiot's muscles to good use if the situation calls for it," Sasuke informed, at the same time looking across the room towards Kurumi, whom he could see was chatting it up with a few of the other girls in their graduating group. "Plus my cousin has a sharp eye and a good sense for tracking. The three of them working together will make a solid team." He then turned back at his opponent and smirked. "Well, Yellow Fox… are you game?"

Naruto didn't need to meditate on it for very long. "Oh yeah. Totally." He quickly extended a hand to his classmate and firmly shook his in agreement. After glaring daggers at one another for several seconds during the exchange, the pair then released one another before turning to face Tayuya. "What about you, Tay-chan?"

Knowing that she was in on this too, the flute player leaned back in her seat confidently with her arms crossed and a big grin in play. "My wager is the same as this morning's… Kiba, Hinata and Shino on the same squad together. One hundred percent." She added to this by flicking her hair back. "If you guys have any objections, I would love to hear them."

"Nah. I'll definitely take that bet," Naruto said, shaking hands with his roommate while exchanging smiles with her. "And I wager Shino, Kiba and you against it."

The flute player then reached a hand over to Sasuke, who returned her gesture firmly and with a competitive fire burning in his eyes. "You're going to pay for all those push-ups you made me do."

Chuckling after releasing her hand from the Uchiha's, Tayuya then sat back and crossed her legs. "Well now… it looks like its two-for-one at the slap-convention today." She then glanced up to the row where Sakura was sitting. "You got all that, pinky?"

"Yep," the kunoichi replied with a thumbs-up and a smile.

"Then let the games begin," Tayuya remarked with a cocky smile and a sly look in her eyes, as she exchanged glares with Sasuke and Naruto.

While a majority of the class remained completely oblivious to what was going on in front of them, Tama, who was lying peacefully on the table in front, gave a yawn and carried on napping. Naruto meanwhile reached forward and stroked her hair, causing her to purr while he continued chatting casually with the rest of his classmates.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Unbeknownst to all the kids in the most recent graduating year, their classrooms were being monitored by the all-seeing eye of Mikoto Uchiha, who, along with over a dozen Jonin captains who'd volunteered to take on teams for this period, were gathered around the village's leader's desk and staring into her crystal ball. With all the required individuals gathered, including the notoriously late Hatake Kakashi, the soon-to-be squad leaders looked towards the viewing sphere with interest, as they watched the children mingle in their respective groups.

When the orb panned over Naruto's table and the kids gathered around it, an observing Ko Hyuuga spoke up. "We've got a very interesting batch of students this year."

"Not to mention some of the most talented," Asuma Sarutobi informed, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips as he nodded towards the globe when Sasuke Uchiha's face appeared in it. "That one there has achieved top marks in all subject areas and displayed an extraordinary level of skill as a ninja, comparable to that of a low-level Chunin. What's more he's also exceptionally perceptive and intelligent."

"A true prodigy," Kurenai informed, at the same time looking up to smile at Konoha's new leader, who was sitting behind the large oak desk in her signature ANBU gear and the white Hokage cloak with red flame embroidery along the trim hanging off of her shoulders. "You must be really proud of him, Hokage-sama."

At this, a smile tugged at the raven haired woman's lips. "I am. But he's still got a long way to go if he's going to make it as a shinobi. This next test will determine the kind of future that lies in store for him."

While the Jonin watched the invisible eye pan over the isle, it soon focused in on Naruto, who was busy petting his little fox companion Tama on the head and earning a nuzzling from her in kind. The sight of the boy had the silver haired Kakashi smile under his mask and nod towards the image. "Looks like we have another promising graduate."

Asuma grinned at the sight. "Uzumaki Naruto, eh?"

"He's also become quite famous around the village in the last few years," Kurenai added with an interested gleam in her eye.

Hayama, a man with brown hair wrapped in a ponytail and a scar running down the side of his lips, looked across at his compatriots beside him. "Isn't he the brat that fought and defeated Mizuki alongside Sasuke and Hinata last night?"

"And retrieved the _Scroll of Seals_ that he stole?" another shinobi in the back asked.

"Yes. Among a few other deeds," another woman's voice spoke up, with everyone looking behind them to see a petite young woman with long brown hair tied back by a bandana, black spandex pants, a light pink kimono top, and a black armored vest over it, with the Uchiha Clan symbol on the back. She also had a tantō sheathed on her scabbard, which was attached to her vest's shoulder plate. Revealing herself to be none other than Izumi Uchiha, the young woman with her hands on her hips smiled and gestured towards the viewing globe. "He also caught Itachi on the night he attacked the Uchiha Compound and forced him to flee… saving the lives of many of my clansmen, including the current Hokage."

"He also has a penchant for getting into brawls with delinquents on the streets," a Jonin wrapped in bandages also spoke from the back. "Though from what I understand about it, he's usually not the one who starts those fights… yet he actively goes out searching for them anyway."

This statement earned a slight chuckle from Asuma. "Well… everybody has their weird hobbies."

"Despite all appearances, Naruto-kun is actually a very gentle and compassionate young man, with an adventurous spirit and an energetic personality to match," Mikoto added, keeping her eyes glued to viewing orb to see Naruto turn and begin speaking with Tayuya, who laughed at a joke he told her. "He's also quite an interesting prospect. He finished fourth in his year- and though his grades fall short in the problem solving department, his physical abilities and stamina are off the charts. Iruka describes him as a natural kinesthetic learner… and his CQC skills surpass both Hinata's and Sasuke's."

Her assessment had a listening Akimichi Clan Jonin whistle. "He'll make a great heavy-lifter for the team he's placed on. There's no doubt about that."

"That's not even including his friend Tayuya," Mikoto began while looking up at the others. "She finished second behind Sasuke, and while her combat skills are on par with his own, her intelligence and genjutsu capabilities are incredibly strong. What's more, she's also demonstrated a high aptitude for strategy and problem solving. In a way, she makes up for what the other top students lack."

"If she were to be properly nurtured… and if she was mixed in with the other teams on a regular basis," Kurenai began, at the same time looking across at Asuma, "She and the other two could make for some very valuable allies in the future."

With the entire room nodding in agreement, Mikoto turned her attention back over to Izumi, whom she saw perk up when her eyes fell on her. "Make sure to train them well… okay?"

The brown haired kunoichi nodded while cracking a smile. "I will. That is… if they can pass the test I have planned for them."

OOO

When Iruka Umino finally arrived to class several minutes later, all of the students set aside their talks with their friends and quickly moved to their seats. Kiba returned to his usual seat up in the back row near where Hinata was sitting, who had decided to make herself comfortable by leaning back into her chair with her legs crossed and her arm propped up on the support. What's more, since they were already comfortable where they were, Sasuke, Naruto and Tayuya all sat in the middle row, with the former glaring ahead of him with his chin resting in his hands, the blond resting back with a big grin on his face, and Tayuya chewing on a piece of gum and looking her usual, cool self.

From that moment on, it was all about poise and presentation.

"Starting from today, all of you are officially recognized as shinobi of _Konohagakure no Sato_ ," Iruka announced, a smile in play as he looked upon the eager and expectant looks on his former students' faces. "That means the tasks and responsibilities that were once solely reserved for the ninja of this village, have now been placed in your capable hands. Though you have faced many great trials and hardships getting here, know that all of that was just the beginning. From here on out, things are only going to get tougher… and the challenges even more difficult."

"Sweet," Naruto whispered, at the same time drumming his finger against his bicep while Tama listened attentively from where she was lying in front of him.

Allowing for a brief moment of pause, Iruka then panned over his class once more. "As of now you are only Genin; first level ninja. Just as we've done for every other year, you will all be assigned to teams of three, each of which will be led by a Jonin; an elite ninja. The Jonin assigned to your squad will become both your squad leader and your new teacher. They will oversee your development from here on out and continue your training as shinobi. You will follow your leader's instructions to the latter in order to complete any and all assignments given. I wish you all the best for your future careers as shinobi and kunoichi of the hidden leaf." Whipping his ledger and pen out, Iruka cleared his throat. "I will now begin announcing the squads in numerical order."

One by one, the homeroom teacher proceeded to list off the teams via the sheet provided to him by Mikoto Uchiha, which was something she and Hiruzen had written up leading into the coronation. Iruka of course couldn't hide the amusement from his face with every squad he read out, with each name either being accompanied by a loud 'yes', a groan of disappointment, or a whoop of delight. The expression on his face was more than enough to tell that he was very much enjoying this portion of his job.

As ever, those who had yet to have their names called waited anxiously, wondering when the hammer for them was going to fall. They remained silent in their seats, listening carefully as their teacher went over the list at an agonizing pace.

Soon the time came for the next batch, and for one particular blond troublemaker, he didn't have to wait anymore.

"Now, Team 7…" Iruka began with a smile as he looked up. "We have Uzumaki Naruto…" He saw the blond and everyone in the middle tables literally hold their breath. After a brief pause, he continued. "Haruno Sakura…"

"Oh no," Sasuke murmured, his hands slowly dropping to the desk as Naruto and Tayuya's grins widened.

"And… Uchiha Sasuke."

 _ **SLAP!**_

Every single head in the classroom turned at the exact same time towards the middle, where they saw Naruto on his feet with his hand out and Sasuke, who'd just been hit clean across the face, tumbling out of his chair and to the floor. When a dull thud rang out, every single person sweat-dropped as the blond gave a satisfied sigh and flexed his arm, whereas Tayuya threw her head back and laughed her ass off. Even Kiba fell forward as a series of wolfish cackles left his throat, at the same time his pal Akamaru hang onto his head for dear life.

"Damn! Did you see that?! He dropped like a stone!" the Inuzuka howled, while simultaneously watching Naruto and a laughing Tayuya share a high-five.

"Nice one, shithead."

Confounded by the sight before him, an utterly confused Iruka frowned and lowered his clipboard. "What the hell are you guys doing, interrupting my lesson? Are you two getting into another fight?"

Immediately going quiet, the two delinquents in the class looked down at their teacher. Upon noticing the rather miffed look on his face, they quickly gathered up their senses, with the blond straightening up and answering clearly. "No, Iruka-sensei. We just have a bit of a _slap bet_ going on… that's all."

"Oh," the Chunin murmured, blinking a couple of times before then looking back down at his clipboard. "Well… try not to make too much of a racket. I only have a few more teams left to sort out." Iruka of course remembered doing that back when he was a kid as well, only he did it outside of class. However, considering this was going to be his last day with these kids, he figured he would let this little discrepancy slide and carried on with his report. "Your squad leader is Hatake Kakashi, by the way."

After grinning at each other, Naruto and Tayuya then heard a groan next to them, and watched as a stunned Sasuke pulled himself back into his seat. Holding the left side of his face, the raven haired boy rolled his jaw a couple of times and looked up at the delinquent standing next to him.

"Dobe, your hand is _monstrous_ ," Sasuke uttered in disbelief, as he could feel his cheek slowly going numb.

Naruto smirked as he looked down at the dazed prodigy. "Well, what did you expect? You've seen my penis."

The Uchiha then gave the blond a strange look along with a couple of the other kids, while Sakura and Tayuya couldn't help but blush a little at his rather brazen statement. "The fu-… NO I HAVEN'T!"

"Hey. The hot springs are a public facility. You're bound to see a few things while you're there," Naruto chuckled, at the same time smugly sliding back into his seat.

The next gap between team announcements gave Sasuke time to sit his jaw back into place, and at the same mull over the fact that he'd lost. During which time, up in the back row, a quietly observing Hinata was appearing both frustrated and upset, as she'd missed her one chance to be placed on a team with Naruto. She gave her blond crush a few furtive glances, before then exhaling in disappointment.

" _This isn't the end. I'm… sure I'll have plenty of chances to be with Naruto-kun in the future,"_ the Hyuuga thought, deciding not to dwell on her missed opportunity and focus more on the positive side.

As Naruto was grinning cheerfully from ear-to-ear for his victory, he then heard Iruka announce the next set of names. "Team 8 will consist of the following. Hinata Hyuuga…" All the kids in the middle row froze, "Kina Inuzuka… and Shino Aburame. Your team leader is Yuhi Kurenai."

Almost immediately Naruto and Sasuke's jaws dropped, with the blond straightening up in alarm. "Whoa, whoa, wait…Iruka-sensei-"

"Hey, Naruto-kun."

Looking to his left, the jinchuriki then felt his head get smacked to the side when a white hot flash struck his cheek, a loud _**'slap'**_ reverberating from one ear to the other. Seeing stars for a moment, Naruto collapsed onto his desk, almost losing his footing completely but still managing to hold on. The moment he dropped, he heard another _**'slap'**_ next to him and looked across to see Sasuke with his face on the table and another handprint on his cheek.

"Holy shit. That hurt a lot more than I was expecting," the blond youngster said.

Blowing on her right hand, a now standing Tayuya grinned down at the two boys now groaning from the respective hits they'd taken. "Totally called it. Thanks guys." Stretching her arms above her head, she then plopped back down onto her seat, while the rest of the class looked at the wounded Naruto and Sasuke in amusement. The flute player even took the time to share a high-five with Sakura, who was trying her best not to laugh as well.

"Why the hell… did I make that second bet?" the Uchiha moaned, as he was still feeling the effects from the last attack. "How can this happen to me twice?"

"That's because you've got shit luck, teme," Naruto replied, unable to shake the tingling feeling that resulted from being hit so hard. This reminded the boy that his roommate was no slouch in the physical department and was actually really strong.

Shaking his head at the group's antics, Iruka waited for the rest of the room to calm down before moving on to the next set of names. "Since Team 9 is currently being used by another squad, we've had to move on to the next number up. Team 10 will consist of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji, and you three will have Asuma Sarutobi as your Jonin captain." Ignoring the loud groan from the kunoichi of the newly formed group, who couldn't help but slam her forehead into her desk while Shikamaru smirked at her misery, the Chunin then looked down at the next lot. "Due to a slight variation in class numbers, we've had to combine students from both Room A and Room B. So for the final squad on the list, we have Uchiha Kurumi, Hara Tayuya, and Kurama Yakumo. You three will be Team 11 under Uchiha Izumi."

"Heh. Awesome," Tayuya exclaimed. Naruto and Sasuke also nodded in agreement, despite the fact that the two of them were still nursing the fresh bruises on their faces.

A few minutes later and after Iruka was done reading through the checklist to make sure he didn't miss anybody, the homeroom teacher then folded his writing pad under his arm and smiled towards his students. "Okay, and that concludes team assignments. You will be meeting your Jonin instructors here after lunch. During which time all of you will head up to the administration building to hand in your paperwork… and also take the time to get together in your groups, get to know your teammates, and… well… have fun." He then nodded to his former class and bade them all farewell. "I wish you all the best of luck." With that, the man turned heel and departed from the room, leaving the students to their own devices.

As the students slowly began to leave their seats to meet up with their teammates, Tayuya, standing up and stretching out her back, then turned to the two boys sitting alongside her. When they looked up at her, the redhead grinned.

"So… who's hungry?"

OOO

Food would have to wait a little while longer for the students. Since every single one of them had successfully graduated- without any need for supplementary exams- and had their official shinobi documentation to submit for approval to the new Hokage, they still had one last task to do before they could completely relax.

After leaving their rooms, the children immediately made their way up to the head office where, after forming into a single line outside of the mission handling room, handed in their paperwork to their village leader one after the other. This procedure went by quite smoothly, as all new graduates had made sure to double-check all of their details and ensure that all of their profile photos were deemed suitable for their permanent records.

With every student that came through, the patiently waiting Mikoto made sure to once again congratulate each and every one of them on their success, while also receiving the customary greeting from each student in kind. The head of the Uchiha Clan also made extra certain to remember the faces of all those who came through her office, as she knew that it was with these aspiring youngsters that she would be working with in the future and would be helping to inspire and instigate change across the world. Sure there were still some nerves going around, but the new Hokage simply chalked this up to them being overwhelmed in her presence.

When it eventually came time for Naruto and his friends to come up, the former of whom had placed himself well at the back so that he could freely chat with Sakura and Tayuya in the lineup, events that morning took an interesting turn.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. Everything is all in order here," the Uchiha mother chirped while setting aside her son's documents for the Chunin standing vigilantly beside her to take. "Well done on making it through." Upon seeing her son nod to her courteously and head out, Mikoto's head then perked up when the next person stepped forward. "Ah. Naruto-kun. I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"Just wanted to save the best guy for last, Hokage Miko," Naruto informed. When he saw the raven haired woman raise an eyebrow at his reply, the delinquent grinned brightly. "I'm also testing out a new nickname for you. Do you like it?"

Mikoto, unable to hide her look of amusement, shrugged as she took the sheet of paper the child handed out to her. "Try it a few more times and see how it goes." She then stopped when she noticed the red handprint outlined on his cheek, an observation that did not go unnoticed by the two girls standing behind the boy. "By the way… why do you and Sasuke-kun have such strange bruises on your faces?"

Sensing Tayuya's grin widen behind him, a bashful Naruto repositioned his hands and murmured uneasily. "Uhh… it's a… bit of a funny story. I'll tell you about it later."

The Fifth Hokage then looked down at his photo, expecting to see a sparkling profile of the young man with his thousand megawatt smile. Instead, the woman stifled a laugh when she saw the blond, dressed in his signature white jacket, hood up, and scarf wrapped around his neck, sitting on the steps in a very delinquent like pose, with an intimidating face and his friend Tama sitting right next to him. The sight had Mikoto look back up at Naruto to find him waiting patiently for her review. "I assume you don't want to change your photo to something a little friendlier… or professional? These _are_ going to be on your permanent records after all."

Naruto folded his arms. "Hey. I'm going to be an awesome and famous ninja someday. That means I have to start padding my file with as many cool pictures as I can." Tama, who was perched comfortably on his shoulder and scarf, barked happily.

"Same," Tayuya said, while at the same time slapping her document onto the desk right next to Naruto's. When Mikoto and Sakura looked down at the document, they saw the redhead was in a similar pose, hands in her pockets while leaning against a brick wall in some back alley, a red headset on her head, a lollypop in her mouth, and her hands slipped into her maroon varsity jacket pockets. Needless to say, both she and Naruto looked the part of two very hardcore street punks. "Pack em' and stamp em'. Shithead and I are going down in history as this village's most notorious fighting duo."

Mikoto sighed as she took both their documents, skimmed them over, and then rested them on the pile with the others. "You know, a few years ago, I knew a couple kids who were just like you two. One of them was a young, spunky, redheaded girl from the Uzumaki Clan who wasn't afraid to get into a fistfight… and the other was a gutsy raven haired girl from the Uchiha Clan who wanted to be just like her." An all-knowing smile crossed her lips as she glanced up at the pair in front of her. "I'm sure you can guess who they were?"

The smiles she got from the two Genin in return was all the response she needed, with Tayuya playfully elbowing Naruto in the side to let him know.

After double-checking the documents and photos, as well as thanking Sakura when the pinkette walked over and handed her form to the village leader, Mikoto then put the papers together, stamped them, and handed them over to her Chunin secretary. "Please take these straight over to the records vaults." Upon seeing the young man bow and walk towards the door, the raven haired woman sighed, laced her fingers together on the desk in front of her, and nodded to the children in front of her. "I believe that's everything. You guys go and enjoy your lunches."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Sakura said with a bow, at the same time Naruto slipped his hands behind his head and turned heel.

"Yeah. See yah later," the blond waved, seeing Tayuya fall in step with him as they followed the Chunin towards the exit. "Man, I can't wait to sink my teeth into-"

"HA! NOW I'VE GOT YOU!" a loud scream filled the room as the Chunin up ahead stepped aside as a little figure suddenly came barreling into the room. The trio of kids following not too far behind looked ahead of them in alarm as the intruder came charging right at them; a young boy with brown spiky hair, wearing a yellow shirt, blue scarf, white shorts, and some kind of odd-looking helmet. "GIVE BACK OJII-SAN'S TITLE RIGHT NOW, YOU THIEF!" He was also armed with a kunai.

Just as the kid was about to run right in between the three older kids standing in the middle of the room, Naruto simply stepped in front of him. The result was the kid slamming head first into his stomach, bouncing off of him, and crashing flat to the floor with an audible 'oof', while the kunai was knocked out of his hand. The delinquent Genin meanwhile simply stared down at the dazed child with an unperturbed look on his face, as if the act of the kid running into him didn't faze him in the slightest.

Tayuya blinked when she looked down at the unexpected intruder. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know. Some kid?" Sakura murmured while tilting her head.

Mikoto, watching the scene play out from her seat, breathed a light sigh and spoke up. "That would be little Konohamaru… Hiruzen Sarutobi's grandson and apparently my ten o'clock for this morning."

Her announcement had the two girls look at one another in surprise, before turning their gazes back to the child, who was currently in the process of regaining his bearings.

Shaking his head, the kid identified as Konohamaru shook his head. "Ugh. Wh-What happened?"

"You ran into me and got knocked on your ass, shrimp. That's what happened," Naruto informed, a smirk forming on his lips. "Watch where you're going next time… otherwise you might end up running into an actual wall."

His befuddled gaze landing on the boy in front of him, the child stared for a moment before pointing up at him in alarm. "Y-You… YOU!"

"Huh? Me?" Naruto balked, while Tayuya and Sakura just looked on with puzzled and deadpanned expressions respectively.

"Spy! Assassin! Agent of the Hokage! I saw you up on top of the tower when that Uchiha woman forced the old man to hand over his hat to her!" the child yelled, grabbing up the kunai lying next to him and scrambling to his feet. He then took a stance and brandished his knife threateningly at the three older kids in front of him, though they weren't intimidated in the slightest. "I'm here to take it back!"

The kid was about half their height. He was more cute then menacing. It actually had Tayuya snicker a little.

"That woman knew I was coming to fight her and has ordered her most trusted bodyguards to stop me! Well, bring it on!" the child yelled, glaring between the three kids to see them staring at him strangely. Focusing on the blond one, Konohamaru growled. "I'll cut you down before you get the chance to throw the first punch!"

"Okay." Naruto said, holding his hands out and presenting the kid with an open target. This caused Konohamaru to recoil a little, while the girls standing next to the blonde simply watched with interest. "Come on. Cut me down if you can. But I warn you… if you don't make the first swing count, I'm not going to give you a second one."

At first befuddled by the boy's statement, Konohamaru took a moment to size him up and see if he was bluffing in any way. When he saw that he wasn't, the now slightly nervous boy gritted his teeth and lowered his stance in preparation. "Alright then. You asked for it!" He then lunged forward with a yell. "YAAAH!" And rammed the knife into Naruto's gut- expecting him to dodge.

Sakura gasped when she saw the child drive the knife into the blond, thinking that he'd just been impaled while the Genin just stood there and let it happen. Moments later however, her expression relaxed into one of awe and bewilderment when she saw that the knife hadn't even pierced the delinquent, and that it was just pressing into his abdominals like a pencil. Konohamaru meanwhile stared at the spot he'd stabbed in shock, his brain literally stalling when the knife hit its target but didn't do anything.

When he saw the younger child glance up at him fearfully a few seconds later, a clearly unimpressed Naruto clicked his tongue. "What? Is that it? I guess your attack lacked _conviction_." He then snatched the blade from the boy's grip, watching him stumble away before holding the knife between his fingers and slowly bending it. "Oh well. I suppose you weren't serious about killing me after all." A loud 'ping' then rang out when, to Sakura's and Konohamaru's surprise, he snapped the kunai in half. After which he chucked the pieces aside and dusted his hands. "That's too bad."

Giving a startled gasp, Konohamaru backed away, while staring fearfully at the blond that practically shrugged off his strongest blow without even flinching. "W-Who are you? How the heck did you do that?"

Walking up to the child, Naruto then lifted his hand, giving the impression he was about to strike the boy. But then, after a moment of tense silence, he then dropped his hand down on the kid's helmet, admonishing him with a light 'conk' to the head. "Five thousand pushups and sit ups every morning, and a bowl of oats for breakfast." He then turned back to the amused Tayuya and the stunned Sakura, and grinned at them. "Let's go. I'm hungry." He then pocketed his hands and walked around the boy, while the pair of kunoichi followed after him.

Konohamaru stared after the pair trio in shock, completely ignoring the fact that he'd been shrugged off by them despite being a descended of the village's previous Kage. His mind raced, trying to figure out how someone who looked so unremarkable, was able to shrug off a gut blow with a knife like it was nothing. After being raised and brought up on the stories of ninja for all his life, he'd never heard of anyone taking an attack like that and walking away from it unscathed, except for maybe the First Hokage and Madara.

Whoever could do that must've been really strong… and that peaked the boy's interest.

In that moment, he felt the irresistible urge to follow after them. He wanted to find out who that blonde kid was and figure out his secrets.

Mikoto meanwhile, after seeing the scene play out and her Chunin helper leave, waited for a minute for the shock to peter out before speaking up. "Did you need something from me, Konohamaru-kun?" Her question snapped the boy out of his reverie and had him turn to her. After a couple of seconds, the boy's confusion immediately turned to alarm and, in a fit of panic, rushed out of the office, abandoning his failed attempt to take the seat of the Hokage.

Seeing the child scamper away had Mikoto laugh out loud, before turning about in her seat to gaze out the window.

" _Little rascal. That was his third attempt this morning,"_ she thought as a hilarious thought crossed his mind. _"You're in for it now, Naruto-kun."_

Just when Mikoto was just getting into her meditation, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps rush up to her door, followed by heavy panting. When she wheeled back around and focused on the entrance to her office, she saw a man in a pair of round sunglasses, wearing a bandana and a blue shinobi uniform, leaning against the frame and looking a bit frazzled.

"P-Pardon my intrusion, Hokage-sama," the shinobi panted as he looked about. "But did the honorable grandson happen to pass through here?"

Giving the man a collected look, the Uchiha kunoichi then got a twinkle of mischief in her eye, before giving her visitor a playfully chiding smile. "Ebisu-kun… don't tell me you lost young Konohamaru _again_? This is the fifth time this week." Her question had the man blush and cough into his hand, upon which he then started babbling out an excuse as to how the kid had managed to slip from his watch, much to Mikoto's enjoyment.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Important Author's Note:**

My main objective for writing _**Naruto: Moayu**_ is to make a story I would've liked to have seen in the original canon, where Naruto is given more shine and humility as a character as opposed to ignorance and stupidity, and where more Japanese mythology was included in the universe as opposed to the sci-fi thing Kishimoto eventually went in the direction with Kaguya and the entire Otsutsuki Clan, all being descended from 'aliens' that originated from another dimension/world. Not to mention he made the entire world of Naruto and all of its supernatural elements enclosed within Otsutsuki's involvements with humans… and ALL OF IT culminated in a predominantly shinobi world?

Furthermore, every single one of the supposedly end game villains, from Pein, to Obito, to Madara, were all disposable and wasted, according to the 'grand scheme' devised by Black Zetsu where one villain was continuously replaced or deposed by the other in a convoluted and ridiculous plot to gain power for whatever reason each of them had. That's not even counting the fact that all the villains were people with special eyes (ugh).

Seriously, the whole thing is just screwed up.

So, to balance out the entire continuity of the Naruto universe itself, I've expanded on the concepts within it, kept it more in line with the mythological elements as shown at the beginning of the series, and added a _**real**_ end-game villain in the form of **Oda Nobunaga**. This also includes a cast of other characters that can match someone of Madara's caliber head to head- including Mikoto, Fuma Kotaro and the Kappa- because Madara having all this awesome power, being revered as a terrifying ninja and a one of a kind, and effortlessly beating all five Kage, and then having someone like Boruto come in years later to take out someone of Momoshiki's level is just rubbish.

XXX

 **Before we get further into the story, I'd like to highlight a few other aspects of my fic that are important in the plot.**

 **1- Naruto: Maoyu** is a story of a delinquent Naruto- born and bred on the streets- who desires to become the strongest and most famous man in Konoha with his own two hands, while also making as many friends as he can to fill in the emptiness left behind by his family. Though he is regarded as a jinchuriki by the rest of the world, he, Hiruzen, Mikoto, Jiraiya, Sakura and Tayuya are the only ones who know he does not have the Nine-Tailed Fox inside of him. The mystery as to where the Nine-Tails seems to revolve around a pendant/gem that he wears around his neck.

 **2-** The **Naruto: Maoyu** story incorporates aspects of Japanese mythology- demons, spirits, creatures, artefacts- and other famous historical figures from other countries into the folds of the plot, highlighting that there is an even greater world out there beyond the elemental nations. These include ancient China, Europe and more. Bear in mind this is not a new concept introduced into the Naruto canon, as figures like **Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Hanzo** and **Kaguya** (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) were all key figures from Japanese culture that were included in the _Naruto_ canon.

 **List of Japanese myths included in the Naruto: Maoyu story (so far):**

 **-Kyuubi no Yoko (Nine-Tailed Fox)** _ **aka Kurama**_ – (4th - 1st Century BC to present) - Originating from Chinese mythology as far back as the Qing dynasty, the **Nine-Tails** or **Fox Spirit** is a creature that was made famous in various works of fiction throughout Japanese history. It is often regarded as a yokai/spirit of mischief and mystery, imbued with magical powers, with some possessing the ability to disguise themselves as attractive women. Numerous statues of kitsune can be found at temples and places of spiritual significance across the island nation.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- just like in canon- the main Nine-Tailed Fox, _**Kurama**_ , is an intelligent creature formed from the chakra of the Ten-Tails by the _Sage of Six Paths_ , which originally belonged to Kaguya and the Shinju: The God Tree. Having been sealed into multiple hosts throughout history, its latest whereabouts are currently unknown.

 **-Tamamo no Mae** – (1142-1155 to Present) - One of the most famous Nine-Tailed Fox incarnations from Japanese myth, Tamamo no Mae is a playful fox spirit who was said to have originated from Ancient China and, after years of performing trickery and deception on various humans across the nation, was found out and sealed inside the _**Sessho Seki**_ (Killing Stone), an actual landmark that can be found in central Japan.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, Tama takes the form of a powerful, beguiling young fox woman originating from a race of demons that shares a similar history to her real-life counterpart, who can transform into a little white vixen, follows Naruto around, and trains him to use Celestial Chakra.

 **-Kappa** _ **aka Suiro**_ – (1st Century to Present) – With a name literally translating to 'Water Child', the **Kappa** or **Kawatora** is a yokai demon or imp found in traditional Japanese folklore- and probably one of the most famous and well-known of the yokai. The Kappa is an amphibious spirit that is said to dwell in small rock pools, lakes and rivers, and is noted to be the cause of multiple unresolved drownings across Japan. The creature's reputation is so great that it is not only featured in various Japanese works of fiction and media, it can also be found on warning signs by the shores of various bodies of water in the country. Folk stories claim that the cucumber is its favorite meal.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, one such Kappa named _Suiro_ , an intelligent beast lurking in the depths of a northern village lake, was defeated by Naruto and Samui's team, and now hangs off of Naruto's wrist in a petrified state. When given water, he can come back to life, change size, and become an effective battle partner for the delinquent

 **-Ittan-momen** _**aka Aijo**_ –(10th Century to Present) – This little creature is a type of spirit, a Tsukumogami to be exact, which is formed from a roll of cotton, and is said to fly through the air, land on unsuspecting victims, and smother them to death. It is one of the many ancient artefact spirits made famous through storytelling.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, the Ittan-momen is a spirit that possesses the scarf made for Naruto by Kurumi Uchiha, and forms a protective attachment to the blond. Functioning as a semi-sentient object, it does what Naruto telepathically wills it to do and also acts on its own to serve its user, automatically protecting its friend from attacks and acting as an extra set of limbs. Naruto is later able to transform the scarf into different objects, such as a white coat with blue flames, a scarf, an obi, and even a bracelet. It is the most useful and versatile artefact in his possession.

 **-Hanzo Hattori aka** _ **Hanzo of the Salamander**_ **–** (1542 to November 4th 1586) **-** Also known as Hattori Masanari, Hanzo was a famous ninja of the Sengoku Era, living from 1542 to November 4, 1586, and is credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of varied portrayal in modern popular cultures, from anime to games. In this branch of the family, there were actually multiple descendants that shared the name Hanzo, including the man's father and his son, all of which served under the leading feudal lords of the Sengoku period. He is the subject of many legends and interpretations.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- just like in canon- Hanzo is a legendary shinobi revered as one of the most brilliant, gifted and powerful shinobi of his time. Not only is his name feared by all those who've heard of him, especially the samurai, he is also famous for not having lost a single battle, as well as defeating a contingent of Konoha shinobi led by Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru singlehandedly, and giving them the title of _**Three Legendary Sannin**_ for surviving against him. He also plays a significant role in the battle against Fuma Kotaro, and is later instrumental in Nagato's rise to power in Amegakure, who he was later killed by.

 **-Fuma Kotaro** – (Unknown to 1603) - Was the name adopted by the leader of the Fuma Clan during the Sengoku Era of feudal Japan around the late 1500s to the early 1600s, and was the fifth and the best known of the five Fuma Clan leaders in history. Born on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 Rappa "battle disruptors", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, bandits and thieves. According to some records, this legendary shinobi's name was originally Kazama, which translates to 'Wind While'. A popular but fictional story says that in 1596, Kotaro was responsible for the death of Hanzo Hattori (one of the Hanzos), who had tracked the brigand to the Inland Sea but was led into a trap and defeated.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- much like her real life counterpart- Fuma Kotaro is a notorious criminal and rogue ninja, who earned a reputation as being the greatest thief on the continent and the most dangerous and powerful kunoichi in the world, even more powerful than Madara and Hashirama. A great influence in the time-shift that occurs in the Ronin story, Kotaro became famous for nearly sparking the _Third Great Shinobi War_ prematurely- in an event that would become known as the _Kotaro Crisis_ \- and effortlessly fought and won a twelve day long battle against six Kage level shinobi that led to the sinking of several islands and an entire peninsula, which became the inland sea known as _The Demons Crossing_.

 **-Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru –** (1806 to Present) – Originating from the Japanese folklore tale _**Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari**_ (The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya), these three figures served as the central characters of this story. The plot of this tale involves a brave shinobi hero who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad, who falls in love with a beautiful maiden who uses slug magic, and gets into a life-or-death battle with his rival and arch-nemesis, who uses serpent magic. This story, as well as the three main characters, have found much renown in recent years and have gone on to serve as a source of influence for various other media across the world of fiction.

They have received particular fame from their part in the hit manga _**Naruto**_ , in which the three characters share a history as being three very talented, very powerful ninja originating from the village of _Konohagakure_ , whose eventual conflicting futures mirror the circumstances of the folklore tale from which they originated from; with Tsunade being viewed as a love-interest of Jiraiya, and Orochimaru being Jiraiya's arch-nemesis.


	13. Graduation Arc - The Test

**Author's Note:** For all those who've caught up, try and catch the historical figures in this chapter.

And also try and spot the other name.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Test_

(Meanwhile)

Many, many miles away from the _Hi no Kuni (_ Land of Fire), across the vast stretch of ocean that resided west of _Kaminari no Kuni_ (Land of Lightning) and north of _Shimo no Kuni_ (Land of Frost), a very ominous activity was taking place. Floating atop the calm waters of the enormous body of water making up the area known as the North Sea of the Elemental Nations, a cluster of vessels could be seen drifting over the waves.

Unlike the wooden and iron freighters that were normally seen forging paths around the continent, these behemoths were unlike any other vessel put to sea.

There were three in total. The two flanking the center vessel were the exact same class as one another; steel monstrosities with knife-shaped hulls each displacing approximately 2000 tons, with enclosed bridges, twin funnels, conning and compass towers, and decks loaded with 6 Type 3 127mm 50 caliber naval batteries, dozens of Type 96 AA guns, and a whole range of other deadly armaments. Bearing the distinction as _Fubuki-Class_ destroyers, the names of each vessel were clearly imprinted on the port-side of their bows for everyone to see- _Shirayuki_ and _Murakumo_.

The ship that they were protecting was even more immense and far more impressive. Overshadowing the two support craft with a towering hull and imposing superstructure, the dark-painted, 15,000 ton vessel, complete with five massive third year naval guns, dozens of other AA and mounted armaments, two sea planes mounted on catapults, and a crew of 1,000 strong, was the _Takao-class_ heavy-cruiser _Maya_.

Above them there floated an armored zeppelin and, together, all four vessels bore the flag and insignia of a foreign nation- a red rising sun on a yellow background. The second flag they flew bore them emblem of the _Gato International Trading Company_ \- a big 'G' sitting in the center of a triangle being the design of the second flag.

As the three vessels sailed through the waves at a labored pace, remaining in formation beneath the armored airship, on the deck of the command ship Maya, a group of high-ranking officials exited the bridge and onto the viewing deck.

Under the guard of a dozen naval soldiers, all dressed in white uniforms decorated by blue trim and armed with Arisaka Type 38 bolt-action rifles, a group of five men and one woman stopped at the railing just outside of the bridge.

The one in the middle was the short, diminutive figure of the suit-wearing Gato- framed by his signature sunglasses and whisker-like mustache. Beside him, dressed in a white officer's uniform, with the breast packed with citations, was a stern, gruff looking individual with a shaven head and a stern expression- the captain of the vessel. And on the other side of Gato was the young woman, dressed in a pinstriped tailor suit and skirt, thin-glasses and her long brown hair tied back into a ponytail, was the magnate's secretary and daughter Ryoda. Behind her stood the other two men.

One was a brown haired individual with long hair tied into a ponytail, dressed in a black oriental-style suit and wearing a black montuki kimono over his shoulders, and white gloves. He was also armed with a _daisho_ set: a katana sheathed at his side, with the sword itself fixed to its scabbard by a length of red ribbon, and a wakizashi concealed in a black scabbard behind his hip. The second was a tall, muscular young man with a hard chin, solid blue eyes, and brown hair trimmed as a buzz cut, wearing a black officer's uniform, fingerless fighting gloves, and a black montuki kimono, which was also worn over his shoulders like a cape.

Both robes on the two men had the same hiragana letters sewn onto the backs, which spelled _**Shinsengumi**_.

Upon fanning out across the viewing deck on the starboard side, the arrogantly smirking Gato gripped the railing tightly and, leaning forward breathed in a huge gulp of sea air. What followed was a satisfied sigh and a nod of delight.

"What a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the sea is calm, and the sky is clear. What better conditions could we ask for to conduct our little experiment?" the glasses-wearing billionaire chirped, as he then glanced back at his secretary to see her reading from her clipboard intently. "Are you a hundred percent positive that this prototype weapon is going to work?"

Glancing up from her writing, the beautiful young Ryoda reached up and gently nudged her thin glasses up her nose. "Yes, father. Mr. Nikola Tesla gave us his full assurance that his device will function as intended."

Despite her affirmative response, Gato couldn't help but narrow his eyes suspiciously. "Hmm. If you say so." He then looked back out across the ocean intently. "It took the man two years to even get the bloody thing off the drawing board. When he finally came to us with the final product after months of waiting, I got the impression that he'd just been procrastinating the entire time and splurging off of my generous donations." He then spat over the side of the ship. "Lazy, time-wasting scientist."

"Trust me, sir. Mr. Tesla's calculations are solid," his daughter informed as she looked back down at the papers and took a step forward. "The bomb is expected to yield a five megaton payload, with the capacity to annihilate an entire city with a single detonation." Ryoda then looked back up with a confident smile. "If this works… we will have witnessed the completion of a superweapon unlike any the world has ever seen before… and one that every nation will be lining up to buy. Once we've patented it, packaged it, and sold it off, you will become the most infamous arms dealer in history."

Smirking, Gato then lifted his head up high. "With the amount of money I can make from this, I could buy out any country or island that I want." Pondering on it for a moment then led to a wicked look appearing in the man's eye, who then turned his attention back to the sea. "Or… I could use the weapon itself to threaten the people into signing the lands over to me without having to spend a single ryo. Either way is fine."

Adjusting his collar, the captain of the ship stepped towards the glasses-wearing secretary and gave her a concerned look. "Are we sure about the impact distance of this device? Is it safe?"

Not even bothering to look towards the head officer of the ship, Ryoda nodded affirmatively. "We are approximately eighty kilometers outside of the red zone. If our numbers are correct, that places us and the ships safely out of the way of any potential fallout and waves generated by the explosion. So there's no need to fret, Jisaburo-san." Her glasses flashed as she turned her attention towards the white clouds drifting in the sky above them. "Of course… there are a lot of other factors that have yet to be taken into account."

"That's why we are conducting this test, my dear. To observe, monitor and record the event so that we can get the best possible results," Gato chirped, watching the currents beside the ship drift by. Once again eyeing the horizon and the way the sky seemed to touch the water in the distance, the bushy-haired magnate couldn't help but raise an eyebrow thoughtfully. "What was the name of this ocean again? I believe it has some sort of significance to the area."

Clearing his throat, Captain Jisaburo Ozawa spoke up on behalf of the men around him. "This stretch of water is called _The Demons Crossing_. It's an enormous bay that resides between the two great peninsulas of the _Land of Lightning_ and the _Mountains' Graveyard_ , and is directly connected to the North Sea. Up until about fourteen years ago, this entire inlet never existed." Noticing the magnate look up at him in confusion, the commander proceeded to elaborate. "That is… until Fuma Kotaro showed up."

Seconds later a memory was triggered inside Gato's head, who then perked up with a start. "Ah. You mean the crazy woman from the prison." He then looked back out over the water. "Mu-san said she was involved in this somehow."

"Yes. Back then there was another country that sat here… a peninsula protruding from the current _Land of Frost's_ coastline. When the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and a group of other powerful ninja went into battle against Fuma Kotaro, they annihilated the entire cape and several islands in an attempt to bring her down," the captain said, at the same time pointing across the ocean and drawing a line over the horizon. "Now, instead a thousand square miles of lush, mountainous landscape, there instead lies a cold ocean of mist and sand."

"It is also said that a piece of the planet Mars, which Kotaro summoned to collide with the Earth, rests somewhere at the bottom of these waters, causing unpredictable shifts in the currents and weather patterns," Ryoda spoke up, concluding the man's story with a bang. "A battle between humans and a Demon God, which changed the face of the world… or at least one part of it."

While everybody else on that part of the deck reacted in awe to this story, Ryoda and her two silent bodyguards remained completely unfazed.

"Hm. Now isn't that something," Gato breathed out, his mind processing what he'd just been told and the results of said conflict lying directly in front of him. After staring out across the enormous inlet in awe, the man then turned his attention to the lower decks of the cruiser below the bridge's viewing deck, where he immediately spotted men working cameras and sound equipment by the row of anti-aircraft cannons. The man then nodded towards the director and the gentlemen in lab coats, who all gave the entrepreneur the thumbs-up. "We're good to go, Captain Ozawa."

Nodding affirmatively, the Captain of the Imperial State Ship _Maya_ turned back towards the bridge and nodded to his Vice-Captain on standby. "All ships, full stop."

"All ships, full stop!" the second in command echoed, before a series of shouts inside and over the radio told all vessels in the area to slow and halt. A loud siren then rang out, followed shortly by the wakes generated by the _Maya_ quieting and settling.

Before the three ships could come to a full stop, Ryoda turned to face the entrance to the bridge and directs her next instruction to the seaman waiting patiently at the door. "Inform Captain Kozu of the _ISA Étagère_ that he has permission to launch the weapon."

"Yes, ma'am," the soldier replied, before quickly turning and rushing into the bridge.

A minute later and under the patient gazes of the officers and observers on deck, the entire ship heard the distant roar of an engine. Looking up towards the armored war blimp floating many stories overhead, all personnel atop the three vessels saw a twin-engine Heinkel He 111H emerge from the hangar built into the cannon-riddled zeppelin and soar out across the ocean. The crews below, namely Gato and his ilk, then watched as the plane flew out over the waters and towards the distant horizon.

For several minutes the high-ranking officials onboard the Maya observed the plane gain altitude and grow smaller and smaller. Eventually, when the aircraft had almost vanished completely from sight, to the point that the men on deck had to use binoculars to monitor its progress, the main event began.

" _ **Eye protectors on,"**_ was the callout over the radio, which prompted every single person on station to pull out a pair of goggles and slip them over their eyes- seamen and bodyguards included. The only people who didn't bother to put on glasses were Ryoda and the two men dressed in black standing behind her.

Once proper protection had been put on, the crews on both destroyers and the cruiser braced themselves for the fireworks to come.

" _ **Standby."**_

Seconds later, the Heinkel then dropped the large ordinance hanging from its underside over the ocean and pulled off as fast as it could, with the pilots wanting to get the hell out of there as fast as they could. As the bomb fell, a countdown was started onboard the _Maya's_ P.A system, which blurted out the seconds till detonation. Moments later, after the bomber had safely cleared the airspace and was well above the red zone, it happened.

The instant the clock hit zero, the bomb made contact with the water. What followed was a blinding flash of light, which filled the sky and enveloped the grouping of three ships drifting outside of its range. Even with their goggles on the men and women on the war vessels couldn't help but flinch at the brightness of the explosion, which could be seen for hundreds of miles in all directions.

When the flash died out moments later, Gato and his subordinates, sans Ryoda, watched in awe as a plume of blue fire, smoke and water belched out of the North Sea and shot thousands of feet into the atmosphere; the clouds drifting high above being blown away by the shockwave that followed. It took a few moments, but the vessels eventually heard the deafening roar of the explosion hit them, the sound and vibrations generated by the cataclysm rattling the small fixtures on the ships and echoing far into the distance. It truly was an ungodly noise.

A split second later, the pillar of flames and smoke formed into an immense, multi-ringed mushroom cloud, in which bolts of blue lightning shot out from the explosion's heart and danced through the plume of cloud and flames, which only seemed to grow and grow as it filled the sky and horizon above the impact zone. The shockwave itself travelled onwards, passing over the waiting ships and continuing on, till it started a trek around the very curvature of the planet.

And so, at the outset of the calamity, a blast five times more powerful than the strongest _**Bijudama**_ (Tailed-Beast Ball) had been ignited.

Watching the electrical storm produced by the blast continue in the distance as the explosion incinerated everything within thirty kilometers of its proximity, an observing Gato couldn't help but let a gasp leave his lips as his soul was literally rocked to its core. The magnitude of what he was now witnessing was beyond comprehension.

"Oh, it's beautiful," the billionaire whispered, struck with amazement as he leaned forward on the railing as the light of the explosion could be seen clearly reflected in his goggles.

Ryoda, her expression unflinching, even in the face of the flash, simply flashed her spectacles as a smile appeared across her lips. "Yes it is, father."

Inhaling deeply, Gato's grip on the ship's railing tightened as he marveled at the wonder. "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky… that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. And with this, from this day onwards… I am become Death… the destroyer of worlds."

Figuring the results of the explosion had finally come full circle, the men on the three vessels began to relax. However, just as the officers and the crew were caught up in staring at the temporary blot on the surface of the world, they suddenly spotted something heading towards them from the source of the explosion. Squinting, Captain Ozawa, Gato, and everyone else on the starboard side of the three war vessels all recoiled in terror when they saw a wall of water over two hundred meters high approaching them at neck break speeds.

Tearing across the bay and annihilating everything in its path, was a tsunami unlike any ever seen before, which had been produced by the shockwave generated by the explosion disturbing the surface of the ocean. Obviously being much more powerful than expected, the force of the blast thundered outwards in all directions without resistance, with the wave heading towards the collection of ships threatening to capsize, pulverize, and kill every single person in a single stroke.

As the tidal surge started to crest as it closed in on the observing platforms, the two destroyers and the cruiser Maya sounded alarms.

Sirens blaring across the vessels and lights starting to flash, Captain Ozawa turned to his crew and bellowed, "TSUNAMI! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

While the crews scrambled about in a panic, knowing that their fates were as good as sealed as the 70 story wave's shadow fell over them, a calmly observing Ryoda pushed her glasses up her nose, crossed her arms and spoke.

"Okita."

At once, the stoic man in black and wearing the katana leapt forward, leapt forward onto the rail and, after taking a stance, reached back and grabbed the handle of the wakizashi hanging from his belt behind him. Calmly taking aim at the wall of water about to swamp the cluster of ships, including the armored _Étagère_ floating overhead, the man didn't even bat an eye when he drew the short sword and sliced it in a wide, downward arc at blinding speed.

" _ **Shingetsu."**_ (New Moon)

The crescent flash of silver that carved through the air in front of him occurred in less than a second, producing a sharp and powerful current of slicing wind that shot forward and slammed into the enormous wave. The shockwave that occurred afterwards was immense, as the gale cut right through the tsunami and, following the path drawn by the samurai, the entire ocean was split right down the middle.

As a result of this impossible feat, not only was a huge chunk of the tidal wave in front of them obliterated while the rest of it passed by the squadron of ships without even coming within a mile of touching them, but the force generated by the slicing air current caused the sea to part all the way down to the bottom and for a distance of over twenty kilometers in the blink of an eye.

The attack unleashed by the samurai bodyguard was in fact so powerful that it caused whatever cloud cover in the troposphere above them to split and separate along the direction of his strike.

The walls of the trench carved through the water remained standing for a total of twenty seconds, before the ocean came crashing back together with pulverizing force and once again formed a single body of water.

When the ocean finally settled and all that remained of the near thermonuclear blast was a white mushroom cloud hanging over the horizon, the men gathered on the three ships were all left in states of awe. The sea quieting once more under the clear blue sky, Gato, Captain Ozawa, and every single crew member in sight looked up at the man that'd saved them from certain death. Upon doing so, they were able to watch as the samurai rose up from his attack stance, sheathed his sword, and hopped off of the railing.

As he returned to stand beside the woman in glasses, the Captain of the vessel staggered over to him and, with a nervous look on his face, paid him his respects. "You saved us. Thank you, sir."

Looking across at the formally dressed commander, the samurai bodyguard, Okita Soji, gave a curt nod in response. "No problem." He then stepped away and rejoined Ryoda's flank.

Once the moment of shock and bewilderment had passed, and the men on the decks of the vessels quickly returned to their previous stations, a skittish Gato readjusted his glasses, corrected his tie, and moved back over to the railing. As he watched the remnants of the mushroom cloud fade away, the billionaire magnate chuckled. "That… was a _spectacular_ show. I've never seen anything like it." He then looked back at his daughter and grinned at her. "You've outdone yourself this time, Ryoda-chan. Good job."

Lowering her head towards her father's compliment, the neatly dressed secretary responded. "Though the outward traveling shockwave of the explosion was far greater than anticipated, I would still consider this to be a very successful test." Shuffling her pad from her hand to her armpit, the composed Ryoda gave her father a considerate look. "Once we report our observations and findings to Mr. Tesla, he'll be able to modify the next bomb's power and improve its accuracy and payload, allowing for more effective, strategy-based deployments."

"Excellent," Gato exclaimed, taking a deep breath of sea air while the film and research crews below began to chat amongst themselves over the experiment. His glasses reflecting a sense of pride and excitement, the billionaire company owner took a deep breath before speaking to those standing behind him. "Mark this day, Ryoda-chan… for this is the day the world takes its first real step out of its backwater era of swords and mythology… and into a new age of trade and technological advancement. This weapon will serve as the foundations to ending the _Elemental Nations_ and its history of monsters, and establish itself as a stepping stone that will lead us into a brand new world." He then looked up with an unwavering smirk. "Soon, everyone will come to know the name of the man who ushered in this new era: Oda Sayasu Gato."

While his declaration was heard by all those on those present on the observation deck, Ryoda had chosen to excuse herself early. Followed by her two _Shinsengumi_ bodyguards, the beautiful young woman in glasses passed by the guards posted on the platform's stairwell and made her way down.

"That was quite intense. Wouldn't you agree, Les Darcy-san?" the woman in the spectacles asked while keeping her gaze trained ahead.

"It certainly was, ma'am," the stoic guard with the buzz cut replied while following close behind his superior. As soon as they landed on the deck below, the smartly dressed, broad-shouldered male then spoke. "So… what now?"

Gaze remaining unchanged as they passed by more armed troops along the length of the cruiser, the Ryoda responded in kind. "We move on to the next phase of the plan: taking over my father's company. Once I've secured my place at the top of the pyramid, I will have seized full control of all his assets and every single shipping lane across the globe, allowing us to transport men and resources between nations at our leisure." She then glanced over her shoulder towards the bodyguard on her right, while her other guard Okita Soji listened intently to the conversation. "Inform Hideyoshi to start buying out shares from the members of the board and whatever's on the market. I don't care how much it costs, just tell her to make it happen."

The bodyguard identified as Les Darcy nodded, "Understood."

"I also want you to stick with my father as his personal escort," Ryoda continued, looking back ahead of her seriously. "Take the four new _Shinsengumi_ recruits and keep a close eye on him… and inform me of any changes that occur in his schedule. I will call on you as soon as I'm able." Upon sensing the man nod, the woman then allowed a menacing grin to stretch across her lips. During which time her once hazel eyes flickered red for a moment as an overpowering sensation of murderous intent wafted off of her form. "The old man's purpose will soon come to an end. After that… it'll be _my_ turn to take the lead."

OOO

(Back in _Konohagakure_ )

Following their little trip up to the Hokage's office to hand in their documentation to be placed on their permanent records, Naruto and company then headed back down to the academy for a spot of lunch. After meeting up with Sasuke at the exit, the blonde and the two girls with them then headed out to locate the other members of Tayuya's squad.

Running across them over by the playground, the group of youngsters then found a quiet spot over on one of the outdoor tables, which sat underneath one of the large maples growing on the edge of the clearing. Basking under the red glow of the sun shining through the leaves of the canopy, the two teams sat together on the bench, unfurled their lunches, and tucked in. During which time they also spent their time getting to know the people they would be working with over the next few months during their tenure as Genin.

On one side of the table, Naruto- being the most excited and energized of the gang- was slowly devouring the sandwich Sato's gang had bought for him, and sharing pieces of it with his vixen friend Tama. Next to him sat Tayuya, who was also enjoying the peace and serenity of their surroundings, while leisurely eating her roll at her own pace. And right next to her was Yakumo, the brown haired, star-kunoichi from Class B, dressed in a purple combat kimono with pink and red flower patterns, sitting collectedly with her eyes closed and picking away at the bento box in front of her.

Such was the poise of the mysterious girl.

Across from them, positioned from left to right, Sasuke, Sakura and Kurumi were also present, each one either eating from a bento or a rice ball respectively.

Ever since sitting down, the entourage of children hadn't really said much to one another, preferring to occupy themselves with their lunches to fill their empty stomachs. The only people who'd really been invested in any sort of conversation during this early period had been Naruto and Tayuya, both of whom had been making comments on some rather enjoyable yet unimportant topics.

Case in point…

"Now that we're real shinobi and all that, I think we should use this time to come up with awesome 'shinobi names' for ourselves," Naruto said, at the same time sharing a piece of meat with Tama, who took it from his fingers and nibbled on it tentatively. "You know, like how old-man Third calls himself 'The Professor' and the Fourth Hokage called himself 'Konoha's Yellow Flash'?"

"Oh yeah. I get yah, shithead," Tayuya chirped, swallowing the food in her mouth before setting her half-eaten sandwich down and smiling across the table at the rest of their group. "All famous ninja have epic monikers attached to their names. It gives them a greater form of prestige and respect across the world."

The _Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist_ , the _God of Shinobi_ , the _Gold and Silver Brothers_ … there was a whole string of individuals with infamous titles.

"We should totally do the same thing," Naruto continued excitedly, rubbing his hands together before holding them out dramatically. "I'll go first. Since I'm a delinquent- and a great one at that- as well as a hand-to-hand fighter, I was thinking of…" He then added a pause, causing Sakura, Kurumi and Tayuya to lean forward, whereas Sasuke continued on eating and Yakumo simply watched out of the corner of her eye. "Naruto – _The Ronin_."

For several moments the group stared at the blonde, with the whiskered Genin expecting a round of applause or something. But what he got instead was a couple of glances from the girls and Sasuke reaching up and coughing into his hand to cover up his response.

*Cough* "Lame." *Cough*

Eye twitching, Naruto then leant forward and glared across at the Uchiha prodigy. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you come up with something better, teme."

Wiping his lips, the raven haired boy began unwrapping another rice ball from a banana leaf. "Well, since my father went by the name of _Kyogan Fugaku_ (Wicked Eye Fugaku) because of his abilities to cast very powerful optical genjutsu with his Sharingan and my mum was named _Demon Arrow_ and _The Strongest Uchiha_ by Fuma Kotaro, I was thinking of emulating the two of them by calling myself _Aka me Yurei._ "(Red Eyed Wraith)

Raising a hand as if to make a smartass comment about Sasuke's shinobi name choice, Naruto then lowered his hand and quickly looked taken aback. "Okay… that's actually a very cool name."

Sasuke then looked across at Tayuya seriously. "What about you? Got something to top the dobe's?"

Smiling brightly, the red haired flute-player leaned back in her seat proudly. "I was thinking something along the lines of _Red Siren_." She then shrugged and pulled out her flute, which she twirled stylishly between her fingers. "I mean, I already have the reddish hair and enchanting music down pat, so I think that name fits me just fine."

"No arguments here," Naruto remarked, holding his hand out and high-fiving his roommate. "That one is definitely a keeper."

Finding great interest in the discussion, Kurumi decided to chime in from her side of the table. "When I was younger, I always wanted to be called _Kuro Neko_ (Black Cat). Since our clan's had a long standing association with felines and are best known for having raven black hair, I always thought it would be a really cool name to have as a kunoichi."

"Nice," Tayuya exclaimed, holding her fist out and bumping the girl's when she returned the gesture gladly. "You're like a fucking wild tiger when you fight." Seeing her teammate blush, the kunoichi then looked across at Yakumo, whom she could see was in the process of cleaning her mouth with a serviette. "And what about you, girl? You have a name you want to be immortalized with one day?"

After taking a moment to relax, the girl in the purple and pink flower decorated battle kimono and braids in her hair glanced up with a cool smile on her face. " _Miko_." (Priestess)

Naruto balked a little in confusion. "Miko?"

"It's another name for 'Shrine Maiden'. Someone who purifies and banishes evil spirits," Sakura informed from the sidelines, being the first to identify the figure that Yakumo was familiarizing herself with. "That's a pretty cool name to call yourself, considering you specialize in genjutsu and ninjutsu. I'm not surprised you'd settle for that kind of moniker."

Yakumo gave the pink haired kunoichi a smile. "Thanks. At first I was going to go with _Akuma Miko_ (Demon Priestess), but I thought that was a little too dark."

"It's still pretty badass though," Naruto commented from nearby, earning another smile from the girl. "Personally, I think either one of those names fits you just fine."

"Well, I'll be sure to hang onto both of them. See where they take me in the future," Yakumo chirped, at the same time pushing her bento box aside to fold her hands gracefully on her lap. Being the most proper of the entourage, she was really going the extra distance to present herself in a poised manner. "Of course, these titles that we're picking out for ourselves will only matter if we become famous ninja… and the only way that will happen is if we earn it."

"Amen," Kurumi said, raising her juice box in agreement to her fellow Genin's statement.

During that exchange, Sasuke spared a moment to glance across at the brown haired girl in the kimono. After eyeing her for a moment, he suddenly saw the elegantly dressed kunoichi look in his general direction, causing the raven haired youngster to balk and quickly look away. A shade of red then appeared on his cheeks at being caught, which drew a curious blink from Yakumo.

"If we keep going the way we are, that shouldn't be too much of a problem," Tayuya added, finishing off her last rice ball and promptly sucking the oil off her fingers one at a time. "

"What about you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked while glancing across at his kunoichi teammate, whom he saw sit up at being addressed. "Have you thought of an epic ninja name you'd like to be called in the future?"

"Oh. Uhh…" Hesitating for a moment as she put down her lunch, the pinkette swayed on the spot awkwardly for a moment before looking back up at the boy. "N-No. Not really. I just… figured I would get one after completing enough missions and getting promoted to Chunin." Sakura then gave the other kids a nervous smile, which she followed with a chuckle. "Guess I'm just not as ambitious or adventurous as the rest of you guys."

Picking at his rice ball, Sasuke then gave a careless, brooding shrug. "Not everyone is."

Kicking his feet back as he processed his friends' responses, Naruto put on a big grin as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well… since we're all being super serious about this, I guess if I had to choose a name, it would be _Gold Fox_."

His statement had Tayuya glance across at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really? You want to go by your delinquent title?"

"Yep," Naruto nodded, at the same time noticing the looks the others were throwing him. "I'm serious. I think it's a really cool nickname… and one that a lot of people already know and fear." He then reached forward and petted Tama on the head, which the vixen responded to by nuzzling his palm lovingly. "Plus I've got fox pedigree to back me up, so you could say I'm two for two on this one." His explanation drew agreeable nods from Kurumi and Sasuke, with Sakura giving the blond a warm smile.

After thinking on it for a moment, Tayuya then slapped her hand on the table and grinned. "You know what. Screw it. _Red Fox_ will be my fucking moniker." She then leaned over and elbowed Naruto in the side. "We already come as a two-person set anyway, so let's keep our reputation growing into our ninja careers. Yeah?"

"Yeah. You got it, dattebayo," Naruto exclaimed, sharing a fist-bump with the girl before going through their routine of a secret handshake: a back-and-forth slap, a finger lock, a hare and tiger seal, and then an explosion, which they mimicked through sound effects before brushing their hands through their hair. "Naruto and Tayuya: the unstoppable and awesome _Gold and Red Foxes_!"

"Partners for life," the flute player concluded. The display had Sasuke and Yakumo give the pair a strange look, before the delinquents quickly returned to their meals.

However, just as the blond was about to take another bite from his pork bun, his head perked up when he picked up something on his radar in the form of feet shuffling and a flutter of cloth. Sasuke, Tayuya, and Yakumo visibly detected the presence as well, whereas Sakura and Kurumi were too preoccupied with their food to notice.

Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto frowned when he spotted something unusual. "Don't look now… but we've got a shadow." His comment had the two girls oblivious to the sensation look away from their lunches.

At that moment Naruto and the rest of his friends sitting around the table quickly spied a large sheet of some kind hanging from the trunk just a few feet away from them. Now, ordinarily this wouldn't have been unusual were this part of some kind of ceremony. But the fact that the sheet was painted to look like the tree, but was hanging the wrong way around and had a pair of hands hanging onto it from above, just set off all sorts of weird bells for the Genin. The abovementioned group couldn't help but stare at it for several moments in complete silence, with Tayuya giving a blink of confusion.

"Umm… what the hell is _that_ supposed to be?" the flute player asked no one in particular.

"Some sort of camouflage… I think?" Kurumi spoke up, also clearly baffled by the painted curtain.

"It's not even the right way up," Sakura said, a sweat drop appearing in her hair.

The bark was supposed to be going up and down. Whoever was holding it had it going side-to-side. If you didn't count all the other things wrong with it, such as the fact that some of the white edges underneath could still be seen and that the sheet was clearly hugging at the person's body… it was just a bad attempt at concealment.

Giving a deep frown at the trunk, Naruto set his lunch aside and stood up. He then marched up to the diminutive person holding the sheet and placed his hands on his hips. Upon which he then glared at the culprit. "Listen, kid. I'm not sure if you know this, but the whole point of a camouflage is to blend into your environment and make sure nobody can see you… and you're failing at that."

The group then only had to wait a few seconds after Naruto's statement before the sheet fell away and revealed the helmet and scarf-wearing form of Konohamaru Sarutobi, who stepped over his sheet to glare up at the blond defiantly.

Tayuya blinked when she recognized who it was. "Hey. It's that kid that tried to stab shithead up in the Hokage's office. Konoha-something or other."

Eye twitching, the boy barked back at the redhead angrily. "IT'S KONOHAMARU!" His shout had the kunoichi raise her hands and grin in amusement, before the youngster promptly returned his attention to Naruto and pointed at him accusingly. "AH-HA! It's just as I suspected!"

Now it was the delinquent's turn to look even more confused. "Huh? What's happening now?"

The boy grinned broadly. "You really are an elite ninja of the Hokage! All of you are! Being able to see through my disguise and find me so easily is proof of that."

The group of Genin around the table couldn't help but stare at the child blankly. Even Sasuke.

"You were standing two feet from us, holding a sheet painted to look like bark the wrong way around, with different parts of your body sticking out from behind it," Sakura replied in a deadpanned voice. "How is that a disguise?"

"You weren't even trying to hide," Naruto added at the end, crossing his arms while Tama, hiking up his body from behind, perched on his shoulder to look down at the kid curiously. "Why in the world did you think that would work?"

The kid puffed his chest out proudly. "It was strategy."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Looking back down at his discarded cover, the youngster scratched his cheek. "Well… it wasn't exactly strategy. Honestly, the camouflage could use a little bit more work." He then glanced up at the tree above him. "Maybe if I added a pulley system…"

"Okay, first of all, forget the pulley system and the sheet. Trust me. Neither of them will work," Naruto cut in, drawing the kid's gaze back to him as he began his miffed interrogation. "Second of all, why the heck were you trying to spy on us?"

Was spy the right word?

Quickly getting back on track, a pumped-up Konohamaru rested his knuckles on his hips and spoke in a big, stuck-up voice. "Simple. I'm here for _you_!"

"Us?" Sakura asked from the table.

"No. Not you guys. Him!" The child then pointed at Naruto, who had the good sense of mind to appear taken aback. "He stopped me from attacking the Hokage and finishing a super-important mission to force the Uchiha woman into giving the hat back to oji-san. He disarmed me with no effort whatsoever and looked down at me like I was nothing!" Konohamaru then took on a sour look as he glared at the taller boy intensely. "No one has ever done that before."

At this, Tayuya couldn't help but grin from where she was sitting. "To be honest, brat, any one of us could've done that."

"Yeah. But he snapped my kunai in half with his fingers like it was nothing after being stabbed with it." Konohamaru continued while looking up at Naruto with an excited and admiring gleam in his eye. "Even though I ran at him with all my strength, it didn't even hurt him one bit. That means he's strong."

Naruto, looking back at Tayuya and the others, then turned back to the kid. "Umm. Okay… I'm strong… in my own way. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Konohamaru's grin widened. "I've decided that you're going to train me, boss!"

The moment the boy shouted this, a lot of things happened. First, Sasuke choked on the rice ball he was eating and proceeded to try and cough it out. Sakura, Kurumi and Yakumo meanwhile remained dead silent, with the former blinking in surprise at the kid's rather gutsy and bold declaration that the delinquent in front of him was going to be his teacher. And Tayuya, after several seconds of silence, then burst into fits of uproarious laughter as Naruto stared down at the boy in disbelief.

"What the hell?! Who decided that I was going to train you?" the blond asked in outrage. But his questions didn't deter the youngster in the slightest. "On that note, why the heck would I want to train you? And more importantly, why are you picking _me_ of all people?" By the time he finished his string of baffled inquiries, Sasuke had managed to dislodge the rice caught in his throat and return to listening. "Don't you have plenty of other people to teach you?"

It made sense, considering the kid's background. His grandfather was the Hokage, so obviously he would have a few elite ninja bobbing around, guarding him and training him in the ways of the shinobi. Wouldn't that be a prerequisite for being a relative of the village leader?

On that subject, where the heck was the ninja that was supposed to be looking after him now? Did this kid just up and ditch him?

Questions for another hour.

Konohamaru responded with a raspberry and a thumbs-down. "Those guys that jiji hired only care about protecting me. They're too scared or too busy to teach me anything," the adolescent stated, dropping his hand and continuing to eye the delinquent with a small degree of reverence. "You're the first person I've ever met who didn't refer to me as 'Honorable Grandson'. And you didn't even apologize to me after knocking me over. That tells me you're some kind of tough guy and rebel… someone who is perfect to work for the Hokage on the streets with the lowlifes."

Konohamaru's explanations only made Tayuya laugh even harder, who then looked across at her roommate hysterically. "Oh, this is priceless, shithead."

Getting a bit embarrassed at how much his friend was laughing at his expense, Naruto went back to glaring at the runt of a boy in front of him. "Look. This is super nice and all, squirt… but… I'm not really the kind of person you want to have hanging around and teaching you stuff. I'm not book smart, a lot of people around the village hate my guts, and I'm a bad influence… plus I get into tons of fights-"

"Then you're exactly the kind of guy I need training me!" Konohamaru shouted, cutting Naruto off while stepping towards him with his fists raised eagerly. "I hate studying, I don't have any friends, and I love fighting! That means you'll be able to teach me a lot of cool stuff!"

"Oh, good grief," Naruto sighed while slapping his face with his hand. As Tayuya began trying to catch her breath from all the laughing she'd been doing, with even Sakura and Kurumi sharing a bout of snickers with each other at how cute the scene was, the blond brawler then glared at the youngster again. "You're really not going to let this go are you?" he asked after seeing the enthusiasm burning in the child's face.

Konohamaru shook his head briskly. "Nope."

"You seriously want me to train you?"

This time the child nodded. "Yes!"

"Why?" Naruto asked, wanting to understand the reason this upstart was going through all this trouble pestering him for an apprenticeship.

Scrunching his face up and averting his gaze, Konohamaru thought hard about his answer. After a moment, he eventually came back with a surprising revelation. "People only see me as the grandson of the Third Hokage… and nobody ever acknowledges me by my name. Only as 'Honorable Grandson'… and I really hate that." He then looked back up at the blond and thumped his fist into his chest. "I'm my own person too, yah know! I want people in this village to start recognizing me and seeing me for who I am… and not who my grandpa is! That's why I want to train and become strong… so that people can remember my name!"

Taking a moment to cross his arms and survey the kid for a moment, Naruto thought hard about what the youngster had to say. Even the others behind him saw what the child was getting at.

It was only natural for people to want to be acknowledged for their individual achievements, talents, skills and strengths, with thoughts and feelings of their own. That was one of the biggest parts about being human. They're social animals, always wanting to communicate, show off, and earn attention from those around them. This boy standing in front of them was obviously tired of living in the shadow of his grandfather. He wanted to be treated like a normal kid, just like everybody else.

But man, he sure was ambitious too. The spunk and confidence he spoke with actually had Naruto shake his head for a second, as it was almost like he was looking at a younger version of himself. Of course, while the blond certainly did seek recognition from others for his own achievements, he had to start life out from the bottom of the pyramid… in the gutters. This kid was starting out life at the top, where he already had everything laid out for him.

Tayuya could also relate to the kid's plight in some way. She and Naruto were kindred spirits in that regard; people who didn't have anyone to acknowledge them, guide them, or help them to get where they needed to go, and thus were also seeking respect. After they met, the two of them helped and supported one another in making a new life together, with the blond instilling the belief in her that she could get more out of her existence by living for something or someone. Since then, Tayuya had established numerous goals for herself to reach, giving herself a purpose in life.

Honestly, earning acknowledgement for one's own worth as a person was an all too familiar desire to strive for, and upon considering the child's words, Naruto eventually reached a decision.

"Alright then, squirt. I'll help you out," Naruto said, causing young Konohamaru to light up once again. This then prompted the blond to hold a hand up to him. "But it will have to wait till the afternoon. The six of us have a team meeting to get to, so when that's over you can come meet up with us at the front of the school. Deal?"

"Deal!" the child exclaimed loudly, bouncing on the spot with his fists clenched excitedly. "Oh, man! This is going to be so awesome!" It was then after jumping around for a bit the youngster suddenly heard a person shout his name. The other Genin did to and after everyone looked in the direction it'd come from, Konohamaru quickly ducked low. "Sorry, boss! Gotta go!" He then sprinted away at full speed, disappearing into the brush.

A few seconds after seeing the kid rush off, the collection of Genin then saw a man with round sunglasses and wearing a blue shinobi uniform come running past. After looking at each of them with an exhausted expression, Ebisu then turned and continued on running, all the while shouting, "Honorable Grandson! Where are you?!"

Shrugging when he saw the man vanish down the footpath, Naruto returned to the table, where he rejoined the rest of his amused and semi-confused friends.

Kurumi, after smiling at the blond, then leant forward and propped her chin on her hand. "I feel like I'm missing out on something fun."

The blond chuckled while Tama rested her head across the scarf around his neck. "Hey. The kid tried to stab me after I stopped him from assassinating the Hokage. That's just an ordinary day for me."

"Honestly, you're not missing out on much," Tayuya also spoke, at the same time teasingly leaning against Naruto's shoulder for support.

Giving a couple of blinks, Yakumo then tilted her head. "I don't know. It kind of sounded fun to me." Her remark had Sasuke look across at her momentarily. After cracking a small smile, he went back to quietly drinking from the water bottle he'd brought.

OOO

(A little while later)

Following a very pleasant lunch, topped with a very invigorating conversation amongst the group's members, in which they spent a little time getting to know a bit more about each other, as well as exchanging numbers and addresses, the six Genin then headed back up to their classroom. They proceeded straight up to the room as a group, where they passed by more of their colleagues also returning to the room.

When the bell echoed throughout the school, marking the end of their break period, the students filing into Class A found a squad of uniformed individuals, all adults, waiting patiently for them at the front of the chamber. With both home groups assembling amongst the rows of desks in the upper levels of the room, the teams then sat and waited to see what would happen next.

"I hope all of you had a long and productive break, because it's time for us to get down to business," Iruka spoke from his desk, at the same time directing all the children towards the shinobi at the front. "The men and women you see standing in front of you are going to be your Jonin instructors. Though the one assigned to your team will be your main captain and trainer, each and every one of them are of high rank and authority, and you will regard them as such. This will be useful especially if you and your teammates will be shuffled between squads to fill in for any comrades who are either sick or off on other assignments." The Chunin then slipped his clipboard under his arm and smiled broadly. "These Jonin are elite, experienced shinobi, who will be leading your teams on missions and overseeing your training as a group, so make sure to work hard and study well."

Once that was said and done, each of the Jonin at the front of the class stepped forward one by one and asked for the team they'd been assigned. Each of the squads left in no particular order, but very soon every single person in the room had left, leaving only a confused Team 7 and a patiently waiting Iruka standing in the room.

Sakura, standing up from their seat in the middle row, raised her hand in concern. "Uhh… Iruka-sensei… what about our team leader? Isn't he here yet?" She certainly hoped that he was late, because if she was about to find out that the three of them had actually failed as a group before the first mission had even began, she was going to have a meltdown.

Iruka, beginning to move away from his desk with paperwork in hand, gave the three remaining Genin a nervous smile. "Uhh… Kakashi Hatake is notorious for being incredibly late to pre-scheduled events and meetings… particularly in regards to situations like these." He then laughed when he noticed the disbelieving looks that appeared on the kids' faces. "You guys are going to be waiting here a while." Walking over to the door and sliding it open, the scar-faced Chunin gave the trio one last fond farewell before departing. "Best of luck."

And so, when the door closed moments later, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were left in silence.

With nothing to do but wait until their team leader arrived to pick them up, the three kids spent the next half hour doing whatever they could to occupy themselves. While Sasuke remained exactly where he was, sitting in the middle row with his arms crossed and eyes closed in meditation, Sakura took to pacing around the area, kicking at the floor and admiring the view outside the window. Naruto on the other hand, wanting to use the time constructively, filled in his quota by going through a rigorous routine of one-handed pushups, sit ups and chin ups from the rafters. When he got bored with that, he then moved on to reviewing some of the material he had written down in the little notebook he always carried around with him.

It was all he really could do in that time, especially since they were apparently the only ones left in the while building. Every other class had been given the day off, meaning that the academy was pretty much deserted.

Eternity seemed to go by as the three kids paced and brooded about their homeroom. By the time the first hour passed, the situation had gradually transformed from one of tedious waiting to full-on boredom. Sasuke had his feet kicked up on the desk in front of him and was close to falling asleep.

Sakura, abandoning her attempts to walk a trench into the floorboards, had decided to play around with Tama. Using a pencil and a string she'd found in Iruka's desk, the girl knelt on the ground and giggled as watched Naruto's tiny fox partner roll about on her back, swatting at the overhanging string like a kitten. Seeing her bark and pat at the lure was probably one of the cutest things the kunoichi had ever seen, with the game itself helping to kill the dullness of the atmosphere.

Naruto on the other hand had gone full native. After experimenting with the living scarf wrapped around his neck for the last fifteen minutes in the corner- grabbing objects from a distance and using its length to create temporary shields- he then mentally willed _Aijo_ to increase her size and width. Upon which he then had the sentient material tie both ends to the rafters above them, laid down across its length a few feet above the floor, and began swaying back and forth like he was lying in a hammock.

He had to admit, for an enchanted/demonic object, it sure as hell was comfortable.

After watching Tama try and nip at the string hanging over her face, a giggling Sakura then looked up at the napping Naruto and spoke to him. "Hey, Naruto… I'm curious. Is it true that you got into a fight with a water demon in a fishing village not that long ago?" she asked, drawing the blonde's attention down to her. "Tayuya told me about it while we were walking back up to the room. She said you went for a hike outside of the hidden leaf last month and ran into a creature at some northern lake town?"

"Yeah. I did," Naruto replied, continuing to swing back and forth on his temporary bed. "Tama and I decided to go on a little adventure together outside the walls to find the place where she came from. After bumping into a Genin team from _Kumogakure_ and following them to the village they were heading to, we ended up encountering a giant, amphibious beast called a Kappa that was terrorizing the people there." He then held his hand out in a thumbs-up. "We fought it and we won."

"Wow. Okay," Sakura replied, looking down to see Tama grab the string she was holding over her with her mouth and chewing on it happily. "Since it was a demon, was it a tough battle?"

"Oh yeah. Absolutely," Naruto laughed, at the same time exhaling sharply. "That giant walking turtle gave me the hardest fight I'd ever had in my entire life. It was big, it was fast, and it literally kicked the shit out of us for a full half-hour. There was no way I could've beaten it on my own. It was only through dumb luck and a keen eye that we managed to figure out where Suiro's weak spot was. After that, the whole fight turned back into our favor." The blonde then held up his left arm and pulled back his sleeve to show off the tattoo on his wrist. "Now he's living in the onsen behind my apartment and, thanks to the pact we made, I can summon him whenever and wherever I want."

"Really?" Sakura murmured curiously.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Over at Naruto's apartment block in the downtown suburban district, in the fenced off area behind the building, a cloud of steam could be seen hanging over the complex's private hot spring area. Consisting of a single large pond surrounded by a pristine feng shui arrangement and a few feet away from the washing up area, through the fog and the heat, a single figure could be seen lying with her back against the rocky wall.

Wash cloth sitting on top of her head and a sake tray floating right next to her, the bare-naked, voluptuous form of Mitarashi Anko could be seen lying with a content smile on her face amidst the hot water. Inhaling deeply and giving a happy sigh, the woman then held her arms up and gave a big stretch, which caused her rather sizable chest to bounce a little above the calm water.

"Ahh… man… this is the bomb," the kunoichi sighed, at the same time resting her elbows back on top of the pool's rocky edge. "Nothing beats a nice hot bath and a side of alcohol after a long night of spirit-hazing grinding."

Seriously. Though working for the ANBU had its share of benefits, it also came with an equal amount of downsides. These included long night shifts, long periods of hiding, and overtime with no extra pay.

At least the health insurance was good.

Having just gone through several hours of sorting through an enormous mountain of paperwork leading into the wake hours of the morning, most of which had to do with the new changes in policy and regulation, the now off-duty Anko was just in the process of surrendering herself completely to the sweet and utter content of euphoria. That was until the woman suddenly heard a little splash next to her and looked along the edge of the bath to see a little frog the size of a plate had hopped out of the water.

Well… from the way it was squatting on the floor it certainly looked like a frog. But from its flippers and the hard shell resting on its back, it also shared the characteristics of another aquatic animal. Since it also had a tiny pool of water sitting in the top of its head where the lid to its skull should've been, this combination of traits officially made it the strangest looking amphibian Anko had ever seen.

Giving the toad or whatever a couple of surprised blinks, Anko then tilted her head. "What are you supposed to be?"

Staring at the attractive, naked woman sitting in the water for a few seconds, the miniaturized Suiro shook himself out of his daze before quickly coming up with the only response he could. _**"Uhh… ribbit?"**_

Though his little croak was completely fake and unconvincing, Anko didn't pick up on the kappa's little act of deception. In fact, after considering the strange animal for a moment, the purple haired kunoichi grinned and reached over. "Aww… Mr. Turtle thinks he's a frog." Grabbing it by the side, she then picked up the reptile and brought him over to her. "Come here, cutie." Against all real common sense, she then hugged the animal against her chest and sunk further into the water. "Why don't you keep drunk little Anko-neechan company?"

As Anko continued to enjoy her soak in the water, unbeknownst to her, the tiny kappa which she was pressing into her bosom had a very lecherous grin come over his face. Upon which he then closed his eyes as he shamelessly basked in the glory of his current position nestled between the two mounds.

" _This… is… awesome!"_ the widely grinning Suiro thought as his flippers lightly groped the oblivious and slightly drunken woman's boobs.

When Naruto first set him up here in this little paradise, the blond had given him three orders he had to follow without question.

One: do not leave this hot spring without permission. Two: do not destroy a single thing without permission. Three: do not harm a single person in this village without permission.

Though the rules were strict and certainly within reason, there was still a little bit of wiggle room that Suiro could squeeze into his new living accommodations.

This situation in particular qualified as one of them, something that the little kappa had absolutely no problems with as he lay there in the arms of the incredibly hot and well-endowed female resident of Naruto's apartment block.

" _Kami, if this is heaven, please let me stay here and die,"_ the little turtle man thought as Anko happily took another sip from her cup of sake.

OOO

(Back at the academy)

Blinking at the last part of Naruto's report, Sakura then smiled. "That's pretty cool." She then looked back at Tama to see her roll back onto her front and sit up. "What about this little one? Is she some kind of summon animal?"

"No. Tama is a demon as well," Naruto exclaimed, swinging his legs over to dangle them over the side of his scarf-hammock. "Her real name is Tamamo no Mae- a wandering, shapeshifting fox spirit that has been around since before the time of the Sage of Six Paths. For the last three thousand years she was trapped inside a tombstone in a small temple in the hills of _Yu no Kuni_ (Land of Hot Water). When the _Third Shinobi World War_ broke out in the area, her tablet was broken and she was set free. After I found her injured and nursed her back to health, she decided to stay with me."

Sakura then looked down at the little fox with a look of sheer bewilderment. "Whoa. She's really that old?"

"Uh-huh."

Upon inspecting the little critter for a couple of moments, Sakura then extended her hand and patted the little vixen on the head. The act of which earned a light purr and a bark from the kitsune. "Well… she's not evil or aggressive in any way… and she protected me during Mizuki-sensei's rampage last night. After everything I've seen, I guess it would be pretty unfair of me to think that every single demon and spirit out there is bad," the pinkette reasoned, at the same time receiving a happy nuzzle from the vixen. "That's not true at all."

Smiling at the girl's realization of this fact, Naruto leant forward and dropped back down to the floor. "Some are good and some are assholes, and many of them are misunderstood. But Tama-chan here has been a good friend of mine for years. To me… she's family." Quietly retracting his large scarf from the rafters and feeling Aijo wrap around his neck once again, Naruto then slipped his hands into his pockets and approached his teammate. "She's given me tons of help with training and advice on how to improve my fighting skills. She's even been teaching me how to use her type of chakra in place of my own."

Sasuke, having been listening in to the boy's little recounts, cracked open his eyes and looked across at the delinquent curiously. "She's teaching you how to use a completely different type of chakra?" Was that even possible?

"Yeah. The chakra she uses is not like everyone else's. It's stronger, more potent, and doesn't have any identifiable nature type. It's the same energy I used against Mizuki to mash up his organs and punch a hole through the clouds. Damn near broke my hand doing it too," Naruto informed, at the same time looking down at his fingers and clenching them into fists. "I've been getting better and better at using it… but I still don't have full control yet."

His statements earned a supporting smile from Sakura. "The important thing is that you're working towards something." She then gave him a wink. "Just keep at it. I know you'll get it eventually."

After Naruto thanked his friend for her encouragement, Tama hopped back to her feet and bounded over to the delinquent, where she quickly hiked up his leg before perching herself on his left shoulder. From there both the blond and the pinkette proceeded to wait on for their teacher to arrive, with Sasuke remaining where he was with his eyes closed.

To pass the next half hour that followed not long afterwards, Naruto decided to show Sakura some more taijutsu techniques across the open floor, with the blond demonstrating by first getting her to mimic his hand movements and stances, and then repeating the steps as they came. Tama meanwhile sat on the sidelines, watching the pair 'play' with interest.

This soon led to the young go-getter shuffling over to correct a couple of the kunoichi's poses, taking up the spot directly behind the kunoichi to gently edge her hands and feet into the right positions.

Much to Sakura's embarrassment and utter delight, this meant the rugged delinquent getting more than a few millimeters close to her in order to properly instigate his teachings. Feeling his chest push into her back and his breath hit the back of her ear, the girl's stomach was practically doing tumble turns when the young man stretched out her left arm and shifted her right hand back toward her chin.

"You want to be able to hit and guard yourself at the same time," Naruto informed, at the same time getting the girl's elbow into an upward lock. "This way, if your opponent decides to get clever, you can quickly spin back around with a counter."

Doing as instructed by moving her arm in to her cheek, the kunoichi gulped. "L-Like this?" Sakura stammered shyly.

"Yeah. That's it. You got it."

Of course, just as he was in the process of getting her to tuck her chin in, the trio were then interrupted from their respective practices by the door to the room opening.

When they all looked, they saw a man, dressed in the standard Konoha shinobi uniform and headband, wearing a mask that concealed most of his face except for his right eye, and gravity defying spiky silver hair, peering into the room. Upon pushing open the door, the Jonin then stepped in and raised his hand apologetically.

"Sorry I'm late. I got a little caught up rearranging some furniture around my apartment and lost track of time," the man said, while at the same time giving what the kids assumed was a smile through his facial mask. "So… you three are Team 7, correct?" When his eye landed on Naruto and Sakura, a couple of blinks occurred before the Jonin then chirped in surprise. "Oh? Am I interrupting something?"

Noticing that their teacher had finally arrived and was now looking right at them, Sakura, realizing she was still pressed up against Naruto, reacted instantly.

Her face turning a bright shade of scarlet in two seconds flat, the wide-eyed kunoichi then gave a couple of squeaks before, with a frantic cry of, she grabbed Naruto by the arm and tossed him through means of a perfectly executed, textbook shoulder throw. The result was the completely unprepared boy giving a startled yelp before he was slammed back first into the floorboards with a loud _**thud**_.

Naruto, having not expected to be thrown like that, wheezed out the only word he could muster at that moment, "Ow."

Lying sprawled out in a daze, the blond could only stare up at the ceiling while an embarrassed Sakura, having not noticed what she'd done until a few seconds later, then waved her hands in front of her in alarm.

"Oh Kami! Naruto-kun! Are you alright?!" Sakura shouted anxiously. "I didn't mean to do that! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"

While the kunoichi fussed over her fallen friend and Kakashi looked on quietly in confusion, Sasuke, having watched the entire scene play out from his spot at the desks, couldn't help but allow his surprised visage to crack a small grin.

" _You know, in hindsight, I'm so glad I'm here right now,"_ the Uchiha thought, clearly satisfied at seeing Naruto get dumped on the floor by Sakura so easily. Hell, even little Tama was sitting there and looking like she was about to laugh.

Kami, he was going to remember this moment forever…

OOO

After Naruto had gotten back to his feet and regained his bearings, the three young members of Team 7 were then led up to the roof by their Jonin commander. The mysterious, silver-haired Kakashi remained completely silent until they reached their destination; which was a wide, open balcony decorated by a small garden with a railing surrounding the entire area, giving them a fantastic view of downtown _Konohagakure_ and the Hokage Tower behind them.

Instructing the trio to take a seat on the stairs, the shinobi adult then took his place over by the railing, where he leaned back and crossed his arms comfortably. From the look on his face, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke got the distinct impression that their 'instructor' didn't want to be there. However, wanting to see how things played out as well as where this was going to go, the three just went along with it.

Hopefully this wouldn't devolve into some kind of standoff.

"So… seeing as how I'm still new to this, why don't we start off with something simple first?" the Jonin began with a light nod, "Introductions. Tell me about yourselves."

Sakura, sitting on the lower step next to Naruto with her legs pulled up to her chest, tilted her head curiously. "W-What would you like us to say, sensei?"

Kakashi held out his hands and shrugged. "Anything. Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Stuff like that."

"Well, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself first?" Naruto asked, at the same time Tama lay asleep on his shoulder. "That way we can see how you want us to answer and we can take it from there." His statement drew a nod of agreement from the quiet Sasuke, who was sitting on the step above them with his arms on his lap.

"Yeah. Plus we don't know you… and you look kind of sketchy," Sakura added at the end, at the same time giving the Jonin a scowl. You can't trust a guy who covered his entire face with a mask. It always sent out mixed signals.

Hearing the children's reasoning had the silver-haired man smile. "Very well. I'm Kakashi Hatake… a shinobi by trade and a man of many talents. Things I like and things I hate… hmm… I don't really feel like getting into that with you guys." Seeing the three kids recoil in surprise then prompted him to continue. "Dreams for the future? Never really thought about them. And as for my hobbies, well…" He looked up thoughtfully, "I have lots of hobbies."

"So… all he really told us is his name and profession?" Sakura murmured to the others, both of whom were currently giving the man deadpanned expressions.

"I think we're dealing with a really shady character here," Naruto whispered back. Tama meanwhile just gave a yawn from her moving bed, her tail brushing gently up against the blonde's cheek.

As suspicious as the guy came across, he certainly did give off the air of a professional shinobi; somebody who was secretive, mysterious, and knew how to conceal any clues to his true identity. This definitely gave credence to his reasons for wearing a mask in the first place.

Kakashi then gestured across to the kids. "Okay. Now that I've talked about myself, it's your turn. I'll let the one on the right go first."

"Sweet," Naruto exclaimed, perking up and adjusting the scarf around his collar. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki- resident delinquent and part-time hero. I like training, fighting, and spending time with my best friend Tayuya. Oh, and my spirit partner Tama-chan here." He added to this by petting the white fox on his shoulder, earning a warm smile from her in return. "I also really like hanging out with the other friends I've made… even though there are few, exploring new places, and meeting new people. My favorite food is ramen… though I really hate how long it takes to prepare it. And I also really hate bullies and people who hurt others for no reason." He said this last part with a bit of a cross expression, which quickly switched back to a smile as he leant forward on his knee. "My hobbies are training and working around as a handyman to earn extra money and experience. And my dreams for the future…" His gaze shifted upwards momentarily. "At first I was thinking about becoming Hokage… but then I figured I'd like to get out there and see the world first- visit other countries, meet interesting people, and kick some ass." He said this while throwing his arms and slipping them behind his head in a laugh. "Have an adventure, as they say. And maybe, if everything goes well, do something important in my life that people will acknowledge and remember me for."

When the blond finished his excited exclamation, Kakashi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the wide grin he had on his face. _"Well, he's grown up in a very interesting way, that's for sure. Though considering who his parents are, I shouldn't be surprised. He's got a strong spirit."_ Filing away this information for later, the Jonin then turned to the next person. "Alright. What about you, young lady?"

The pinkette perked up at being addressed and, after straightening out her skirt, smiled brightly towards the silver haired shinobi. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like a lot of things, including sweets and reading. I also like uhh… umm…" She then tentatively glanced in Naruto's direction and when she saw the blond looking across at her and listening intently, her cheeks flushed red and she pushed back several strands of loose hair behind her ear. "I… I also dislike people who pick on others and call them names. My favorite food is Shiratama Anmitsu… and my least favorite is anything too spicy. My hobbies include studying, playing trivia games and memorization. And my dream for the future is to become stronger and to do well as a ninja of _Konohagakure_." Her last response was accompanied by a smile towards Naruto. "A close friend of mine inspired me to follow this path."

Kakashi tilted his head slightly. _"That much I expected. There's definitely a spark under there."_ All she needed to do now was tend and apply it. Once he was certain the pinkette had finished, he then turned his attention to the last one. "Very well. Now the last one."

There was a brief, dramatic pause before the raven haired Genin decided to speak up. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are a lot of things that I dislike, such as sweets and Natto… and I'm not a really big fan of crowded places. The things that I like include trying out different kinds of rice balls and training on our estate, since I can get a lot of privacy there." He then closed his eyes to think a bit more. "And my hobbies include walking around the village and meditating on matters that are important to me. As for my goals… I want to become strong enough to protect what's left of my clan and to face my brother, so that I can ask him why he really did what he did." Opening his eyes and looking across at Kakashi, the Uchiha's expression steeled. "I know my mother will disapprove, but it's something that I feel that I have to do… for my family."

Once the moment of seriousness had passed and everyone was done sharing their interests, a completely calm Kakashi gave a nod of approval and straightened up where he was sitting. "Good. That's it for introductions. I'm pleased to see that each of you are very unique individuals with your own ideas and interests. Hopefully these will all serve you well moving into your futures." After that a smile appeared under his mask. "Now that that's sorted, I've decided we're going to have our first mission tomorrow…" When he saw the three kids look up at him with a mixture of anticipation and excitement, the man waited a few moments before deciding to drop the bomb on them. "It will be a task that all four of us will do together: a survival exercise."

This announcement had Naruto recoil a little. "Uhh… survival exercise?"

"Aren't you… going to give us an actual assignment, sensei?" Sakura asked, not quite understanding where their instructor was trying to do. "We did a lot of exercises and drills at the academy… and we've had plenty of field practice as a class. Why are you getting us to do a test instead of an actual mission?"

"This isn't going to be like your previous training," Kakashi interrupted, shooting down any other chances for questions. "It's a little more… _involved_ then what you would be used to." A light chuckle then left his lips as a rather mischievous look appeared on his face. "Though I warn you guys, you're probably not going to like what I have to say next."

The trio of Genin all frowned at once, as they didn't like the smug expression their teacher was currently giving them.

Finally deciding to stop beating around the bush, Kakashi, putting on the best intimidating look he could muster, placed his hand against his face and leant forward on his knee. "Of the 54 graduates that came out of the academy this year, which is much bigger than the graduating groups of semesters past, only 18 will be officially accepted as Genin. The other 36 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this next test is going to be a make-it or break-it, pass-fail assessment, and the chances that you will fail is at least 66 percent," Kakashi informed, watching in satisfaction as the faces on all three of his students changed drastically. Their flabbergasted expressions were enough to tell him that they certainly didn't like what he'd told them, which caused the man to grin. "See… I told you that you'd freak out."

Blinking at the big reveal of the test they were now expected to face, Naruto looked across at his other two teammates to see that Sasuke's scowl had darkened and Sakura's expression had paled. After processing the information that'd been given to them, as well as the fact that this next coming trial was going to be much harder than what they'd ever experienced before, the delinquent grinned broadly.

" _Awesome,"_ was the thought that rang through his head.

"Hold on!" Sakura exclaimed, looking across at their instructor in disbelief. "Then what was the point of the graduation exams?" Honestly, it was because of their previous tests that she was finding this information so hard to grasp.

"Oh that? That was just a preliminary test to select candidates who _might_ become Genin… or not. Sorry." Kakashi's apology was made kind of mute by the cheeky smile on his face.

"Ugh…" Sakura groaned, looking down with a proverbial raincloud over her head. So what Iruka had said to them about their next coming trials being harder than anything they'd ever faced before was true.

"That's how it is I'm afraid," the masked Jonin said while hopping off of the railing and approaching the youngsters sitting on the steps. "I'm the one who decides whether you pass or fail. No objections. No negotiations. No excuses." Pulling out three sheets of paper, he then handed them to the trio and watched them take them. "Here. Be at the designated training spot by 5 AM… and bring your ninja gear." Watching the team start to read through the documents, the man straightened up and turned around, giving them a brisk wave and starting to head off. "That's it. You're dismissed. Oh… and one last thing." He then peered over his shoulder at the group to see them glance up at him. "You may want to skip breakfast tomorrow, otherwise you'll puke."

After thoroughly reading through his document and the prerequisites set by their instructor, Sasuke grunted indignantly and, standing up, shoved the piece of paper into his pocket. While Kakashi walked off and Sakura continued glaring daggers down at her sheet like it was a literal death warrant, Naruto folded his paper up into a cube, slipped it into his jacket, and sprung to his feet like a gymnast.

Giving a well-earned stretch, the youngster then put his hands behind his head and started to amble away at his leisure. "Alright. See you guys tomorrow! I'm going to get some training in… and maybe step on a few toes while I'm at it." His last statement had Sasuke raise an eyebrow at the blonde's back, but didn't prompt any further action beyond that.

After all, the delinquent was weird, eccentric, and completely unpredictable. Anything was possible with the way he operated. So, after giving Naruto his due respects and a nod of farewell, the Uchiha decided to head off in the opposite direction, where he hoped to squeeze in a bit of exercise as well.

Watching the delinquent march away with a stride in each step and a smile on his face, Sakura couldn't help but sigh and allow a warm look to appear in her cheeks as she observed the boy's posture. _"Man. I really wish I was as confident and energetic as you, Naruto-kun."_

Perhaps, with some luck and no short amount of hard work, she could get that confidence too.

OOO

(That afternoon)

Outside the main streets and social hubs of _Konohagakure_ , in the industrial storage house district where a lot of the businesses in the village keep their surplus of stock and machinery, a secret meeting was currently being orchestrated. Inside one of the seemingly abandoned warehouses, scattered around the depressing, grey room, surrounded by empty crates, barrels and boxes, were about eight different groups of casually dressed youths.

Each gang was made up of over a dozen or more teenagers of different heights, ages, backgrounds and appearances. The first one, made up predominantly of boys, was Sato's group, whom Naruto and Tayuya had encountered earlier that morning and were the main ones responsible for gathering all these other clubs together. They were standing in the middle of the room in their jumpers, hoodies and jeans, looking all tough, intimidating, and glaring daggers at the other groups scattered around them.

Another unique-looking crowd was a pack of about ten boys in black and grey clothing decorated by chains and rings, being led by a tall Uchiha boy with the right side of his head shaven and his hair combed over. The third most unique group was a gang composed entirely of girls, over fifteen of them all wearing sweaters and hooded-jackets, with the leader being a girl with long orange hair, wearing a white shirt, and carrying a bokken.

Between these gangs were also a number of standalone boys and girls- kids who were not part of any of the gangs and would be considered loners. They were mixed in amongst the collection of hoods and at the same time were keeping mostly to themselves.

Having obviously been standing around for quite some time, the collection of miscellaneous street rebels remained in deathly, awkward silence, while at the same time attempting to scare of the others with their looks. Nobody really wanted to say or do anything, for fear of starting all all-out war with each other.

But eventually, after about half an hour of just standing and not doing anything, somebody had to say something.

Tapping her bokken against her shoulder, the orange haired girl in the white top and jean short-shorts frowned. "Hey, Sato. How much longer are we going to have to wait around here for, huh?"

The boy in the yellow jacket, torn jeans and scratched out headband across his brow frowned. "Beats me. He just told us to meet him here at five o'clock and wait. That's all."

"Hmph," the tough girl grunted while flicking back her long hair. "Well, you might be all for following his orders like a bitch, but we've got better things to do with our time. We're not scared of him and his red-headed dog."

"Yeah? Then why are you and your girls here, Kyoko?" the Uchiha boy sitting on top of the nearby crate asked, his expression stone-cold and unwavering. "Surely it can't be out of the goodness of your delinquent heart." His remark had the orange-haired female sweat nervously at having her reasons picked at.

Gritting her teeth tightly, the girl gang leader known as Kyoko promptly pointed across at Sato. "Because _he_ and his boys insisted that we had to be here." She then swung her bokken down and tapped it on the ground. "There's really no other reason why any of us had to come. If the _Gold and Red Foxes_ want to have a word with us, then they should just come onto our turf and tell us in person-"

"Your turf, huh?"

The echo of a young, husky voice suddenly echoed throughout the warehouse, causing every single boy and girl there to freeze and turn towards the entrance. When all eyes landed on the light breaking through the front doors, the collection of hoodlums and delinquents saw three silhouettes march into view. Once they were close to the spot where all the groups were gathered around, the individuals revealed themselves to be Naruto, Tayuya, and the young Konohamaru, the latter of whom was looking at his surroundings with great interest.

As for the two Genin however, they were looking as serious and as mean as ever, both sporting their trademark shinobi styles and expressions.

The moment their presence was made known to the assembly, every single boy and girl in the room stood up or closed ranks… for their own protection.

Being the one to have spoken up, Naruto, hands in his jacket pockets and Tama perched on his shoulder, glanced towards Kyoko's gang and narrowed his eyes on the nervous leader. "The last time I checked, Kyoko-chan, you and the rest of these plebs no longer have any turf. All the areas you used to skulk about in now belong to me and Tayuya, so don't go thinking you can still run around this village like you own the place." When he saw the girl grit her teeth, the boy in the scarf then turned towards the rest of the warehouse and spoke. "On that note, I'm really happy to see that all of you guys were able to make it to this little gathering. Although…"

"We can't help but notice that not all of the gangs are here," Tayuya continued in the blonde's place, stepping forward as she surveyed the room of about a hundred or so young teenagers. "Where are Yagura's boys and the two groups off of Main Street? The _Band of Fourteen Devils_ and the _Twenty-Seven Precepts_?"

"Also, why the hell are most of your gangs named after the total number of people in your group?" Naruto asked while raising an eyebrow. "What happens when another kid wants to join up… or if a couple of you are away sick for the day?"

Not really being able to answer the blond delinquent's question, due to how on point he was about the pattern, one of the loner boys on the sidelines, a young lad with white hair and a trench coat, decided to speak up. "Their gangs broke up two months ago and went off to do other things. Last I heard, you and your girlfriend beat them up so badly that they didn't want to hang around with each other anymore."

"Seriously?" Naruto laughed a little while scratching his head. "Holy crap. I thought I was going easy on those guys, but damn…" After taking a moment to consider the magnitude of this little victory, the youngster then shook his head and returned to the moment. All the while Konohamaru continued to listen in quietly from the sidelines. "Anyway… now that we're all here, we can finally get down to business… and talk about the real reason why I asked Sato to bring all of you guys together to this warehouse."

As the collection of ruffians and thugs stepped in closer to circle the area better, namely the two delinquents responsible for inflicting the most injuries and wounds on them over the last couple of years, the Uchiha gang leader perched on top of the empty crates spoke. "Are you planning on fighting all of our gangs at once? Is that why you brought us to this dump?"

"A lot of us have known you for years, Gold Fox," another delinquent in a hoody spoke, his gaze trained solely on the newly promoted Genin. "In the last six months alone, all you've ever done is hunt us down and kick the crap out of us for sport… sometimes for very petty reasons."

"Wrecking homes, painting slander on walls, threatening people, and picking on other kids aren't what I'd call 'petty' reasons, Daiki," Naruto snapped, causing the kids around him to balk slightly at his very angry response. "At least, not to me. For the past five years, the only things I've ever seen you guys do is trash the village that you live in, smash windows, set fire to garbage bins, and cause problems for all the people living in your neighborhoods. Hell, many of you even went out of your way to target me and make my life a living hell… calling me names, throwing stones at my back, and ganging up on me day after day with no rest. After so many weeks of constantly being picked on and abused by kids stronger and bigger than me, did you honestly think I was just going to sit around and take that shit?" His shout caused every one of the boys looking to start something with him to back off, which then led to Naruto scoffing. "Of course not."

"So is that what this is all about?" Kyoko asked from her spot while resting her arms over the bokken sitting across her shoulders. "You called all of us down here just so you could tell us to leave you and your girlfriend alone?"

"Because honestly, Naruto-aniki… w-we don't really want to fight with you anymore," another boy from Sato's gang spoke up, stepping forward to show the bandages wrapped around his nose. From the way he was holding his hand up to let his presence known, it was clear he was quite intimidated by Naruto. "None of us do."

"We've seen what you do to the people that piss you off. That's... something we really want to try and avoid."

While most of the teenagers and kids gathered in that shed murmured and voiced their agreement to those statements, Naruto and Tayuya remained vigilant. After the chatter and whispering continued on for several more seconds, the blond spoke again.

"Well, that's one of the reasons," Naruto began, causing all of the kids there to shut up as he began to elaborate. "The other reason why I brought you here is to put an end to this stupid game once and for all." When he saw all the leaders and all the members of the gangs look around at each other in confusion, the blond held his hands out and pointed to them. " _This_. This whole thing. The war between rival gangs, the troublemaking, the larceny, the trashing of other people's properties, the bullying… I want to put a stop to all of it. And the way I'm going to do it is through one, simple proposal that I now offer to all of you…" He then put on a smile of confidence and bravado. "I want us to team up."

Remaining silent for a few moments, as the shock of the announcement rang through all of them, the completely bewildered Kyoko's marched forward. "Wait! So… let me get this straight. You want _us_ … the gangs who you've fought with and badgered for years… to team up with each other to form one group?"

"Yep," Naruto replied with a firm nod. "That's exactly it."

"Bullshit!" one of the other gang leaders spoke up, a young male with goggles and leading a group of mixed boys and girls standing in the corner. "Why the hell would you want to do something like that?!"

"Yeah. Don't you hate our guts?" another boy from the crowd spoke. "What's the deal?"

Looking across at Naruto and smiling at him, Tayuya, taking the stance as a leader and the dominant party there, stepped forward. "Tomorrow Naruto and I will be taking the final test that will officially certify us as Genin of _Konohagakure_. When we pass… and I guarantee all of you that we will… our time schedules and roles in this area will change. Since the duties and responsibilities of protecting the village will be falling onto our shoulders… that means we're going to have to start taking our jobs of protecting and inspiring change in our community a little more seriously."

"The way we want to do this is to help out those who are struggling the most… namely you guys," Naruto informed, causing all of the gangs to look at the pair with a mixture of confusion and shock. "Most of you either dropped out of the academy early or didn't pass the final exams. Hell, some of you even got to the team exam, failed, and gave up without going for a second try."

"That's because the Jonin instructors in charge of the school are idiots," the Uchiha gang leader spoke, his expression tightening angrily as he looked across at the blond. "They don't care about your individual achievements or how talented you are… only about how well you work together as a group… even with people you don't know or absolutely hate."

"Then that's probably where you went wrong," Naruto replied, glancing across at the teen who spoke with a frown. "You guys have all the talent and skills to become good ninja, but the moment you were faced with a real challenge or something you didn't like… you backed down. You let it beat you before you even had a chance to really prove yourselves, and because of that you ended up here. Well… that's going to change right now." The blonde's expression steeled and he pressed on with his speech. "When I first met you guys, all I saw was a bunch of no good punks who hated me and everything else around them… people who didn't know what to do with their lives and were just taking their anger out on everything else. Back then I never understood the reasons why. But after growing up, going through these last exams, and realizing what was to come, I now have a better idea of what you fellas have been through. And that's why I want to help." He then moved towards the middle of the circle and began looking around at all the kids surrounding him. "I want to work with you guys and help you to become better than what you already are… and in turn help the village."

"And you think that if we listen to _you_ that you'll be able to miraculously transform us into proper, respectable people?" one of the girls from Kyoko's gang asked, which caused the leader to glance over her shoulder at her friend momentarily.

Another of the hoodlums listening in from the other side of the room scoffed and crossed his arms. "Get fucked, kid. If you haven't noticed already, all of us are beyond help. None of the teachers or adults care about us… nobody does."

"And what makes you think that?" Naruto retorted, looking back at the older teenager and glaring at him harshly. The act of doing so silenced any rebuttal the youngster wanted to make. "Yes, some people may not care. Yes, life is tough and unfair. Yes, the world has beaten you down at every step. But you can't let any of that stop you from getting what you want. I know that most of you really wanted to become ninja… to do something of worth with your lives and for the village. Well, now you have the chance to do that." Once again looking around at the gangs in the room, the blond raised his hand and made a fist. "Tayuya and I don't plan on staying as Genin for long. We're aiming to break records in the future, get promoted to Chunin early… and maybe even move up to Jonin in the next two years. When that happens, we'll have the means and the authority to really help you guys and improve the system."

"But only if you're willing to help us and yourselves by following _our_ lead," Tayuya informed, also drawing the attention of the leaders and speaking to them with a firm and commanding tone. "If you can do that… and work together instead of fight… then maybe you can all change the world for the better, and fucking show everyone that even failures can still win."

Sato, looking back at his gang and then around at all the other groups who'd fallen silent following the pair's speech, then turned his attention back to Naruto and shrugged. "Sounds fair." His answer drew a round of agreeable murmurs from his gang, with several other boys and girls also voicing their approval.

Kyoko on the other hand scoffed while looking across at Naruto, as she was not quite convinced at his plan. "That was a nice speech and all, brat. Yeah. Very moving. But how do we know you and red over there are even going to make it that far in life?" Her question and overall opinion on the boy was reciprocated by several other people in the room, all of whom could be seen glaring at the pair from amongst the crowds. "Prove to us that you have what it takes to become a Jonin… that you're going to become a great ninja someday… and then- _maybe_ \- we'll listen to you." Her remark was accompanied by a round of chuckles from some of the other kids.

A smile breaking out on his face, Naruto then nodded to the white fox on his shoulder without even looking at her. "Tama-chan." The moment he said her name, the tiny little vixen stood up and, without warning, exploded into a twisting cloud of bright blue flames, which swallowed up the blond and engulfed the area around him in a raging inferno.

The gangs of teenagers could only gape in horror, as they thought Naruto had just been vaporized right in front of them. Even Konohamaru was staring with a slacked jaw as fire and smoke filled the center of the warehouse. But judging from the big smile on Tayuya's face that was not the case.

Moments later, the wall of flames and smoke were blown away by a series of four large tails, which whipped away the pillar and unfurled themselves. All the kids in that room then gave simultaneous cries and yelps of fright when, from out of the fumes, a massive white fox the size of a horse appeared, chomping and snapping. With a deafening, high-pitch howl, the fully grown Tama threw a mighty roar at the gangs surrounding her, causing the entire warehouse they were in to rattle and the majority of the youths to backpedal in alarm. Kyoko and the Uchiha kid meanwhile simply gaped in awe at the beast.

"Whoa…" Konohamaru exclaimed, eyes wide as he watched the beast curled protectively around Naruto make its presence known. _"What a boss!"_

This comment was of course directed towards the blond delinquent, who was still standing calmly in the center of the warehouse floor.

After watching his friend bark and roar at the teenagers, and watching in satisfaction as several of the delinquents toppled over in fright, Naruto, who was still standing next to his transformed partner, raised a hand and gently patted her on the side. Calming down in a matter of seconds, the now composed and silent Tama stood upright and, like a glorified sentry, waited behind her best friend as he marched forward.

"Yeah. That's right. I have a giant fox demon for a friend. I guess those rumors about me are now true," Naruto said with a smirk. "Is that proof enough for you?"

Kyoko, staring at the kid in disbelief while the majority of the girls behind her cowered together under the glare of the white, four-tailed monster in front of them, the orange-haired delinquent girl smirked, laughed a little, and lifted her head up proudly. "Alright… I'm convinced. Whatever you have to say, I'll go along with it, golden boy."

Smirking broadly at seeing the usually tough street girl finally give in, Naruto then frowned and gave one last look around at all the terrified kids around him. "I'll give all of you a week to think about this- about whether or not Tayuya and I are fit enough to lead you. If all of you are still serious about doing something good for your village… to have a shot at becoming _real_ ninja… then meet us back here next Friday, same time. Until then…" He then raised a finger and pointed it at each gang in turn, "no more bullying… no more fighting… no more loitering… and no more vandalism. Let's start things off with a clean slate. Agreed?" Seeing most of them nod and murmur affirmatively, a content Naruto then turned heel and marched back over to Tayuya, at the same time beckoning Tama to follow him.

Returning to the redhead's side as his enormous fox partner transformed back to her little kitsune form and hopped onto his shoulder, Naruto smiled down at the stunned Konohamaru. "So… you said you wanted ninja lessons?"

The boy in the scarf nodded vigorously, yet was still clearly anxious. "Y-Yeah."

"Good. Then follow me," the blond instructed, walking past the kid and towards the entrance. "We've got a long afternoon ahead of us… _and an even longer night_." He whispered that last part to himself.

When Tayuya and Konohamaru joined him, the trio left, allowing the street gangs and delinquents to consider their proposal…

XXX

(That night)

The sound of tapping against her second floor balcony window woke Sakura from her peaceful slumber, the pinkette groggily sitting up from her pillow and looking about the dark of her room in confusion. When a couple more clicks echoed off of her pane glass divider, the youngster slowly slipped out from under her blanket and went over to investigate, ignoring the fact that she was wearing only a T-shirt and a set of frilly, pink underwear.

When she opened the doors and peeked over the balcony, a look of surprise quickly appeared on her sleepy face when she saw, waiting in the street below, Naruto and Sasuke standing side-by-side and staring up at her.

Grinning at seeing his teammate's head poke into view, the blond delinquent waved. "Hey! Sakura-chan! You ready to head out?!"

"N-Naruto-kun? Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stuttered, glancing over her shoulder at her bedside clock. "W-What time is it?"

"Ten past three," the Uchiha replied.

"Isn't it a little too early to be up?" the pinkette asked, looking back down at the pair while gesturing towards the night sky and the partially-lit street. "Aren't we supposed to be meeting Kakashi-sensei at five?"

"Yeah. But since neither of us could get any sleep, we decided to get together and head out to do some extra planning," Naruto answered, slipping his hands into his pockets as he smiled up at their female partner. "We think there's a bit more to the test than what Kakashi-sensei is letting on. If he's aiming to pull a fast one over us and catch us off guard, we want to be as ready as we can be to face him."

"You in?" Sasuke asked as a small smile formed on his face.

"Uhh… alright…" Sakura murmured, glancing between the two boys for a moment as her own enthusiasm started to grow. It was only a few seconds later that the kunoichi realized she was still dressed in a nightshirt and underwear and, giving a startled yelp, ducked back into her room in a panic. "Kya!" Face red, the girl squeaked back from the safety of her quarters. "O-Okay… I'll… umm… meet you guys downstairs. Just give me a couple of minutes to get ready."

Blinking curiously, the boy in the white fur-hooded jacket, blue shirt and blue scarf tilted his head at the girl. "Do you… need us to come up there to help you pack some stuff, Sakura-chan?!"

"No! No! I'm fine! I'm fine! Just stay right there!" the girl cried back frantically.

"OK!" When Naruto glanced across at Sasuke, he saw the Uchiha was giving him an odd look, to which the delinquent shrugged. "What? I'm just offering to give her a hand. What's wrong with that?" His question had the raven haired boy shake his head and turn away.

Obviously the whole problem with Naruto going up there to 'help' a friend flew right over his head.

Several minutes later Sakura eventually exited her home, dressed in her red and white qi pao, with a green backpack in hand. Upon flinging her carrier over her shoulders, the girl joined up with her teammates and proceeded to follow them out of her neighborhood and towards the main road. Trailing along the highway to the outskirts on the east side of the community, the trio passed through the main gate, beyond the defensive wall, and onto the outlying fields.

 _Konohagakure_ was known for having multiple training areas both inside and outside its boundaries, with each one serving a specific function ranging from scientific study to regimental training. While districts like the _Forty-Forth Training Ground_ and the _Zeroth Training Ground_ were classified as a wildlife sanctuary and a competition ground respectively, and were both considered extremely dangerous, areas like the Third all the way to the Fifteenth training fields were all safe and could be used by multiple parties. The former training zone was a particular favorite of shinobi team captains for testing and assessing newly graduated Genin, and it was at this very same space Kakashi instructed his squad to meet him.

Entering the valley through the perimeter fence from the main road, the three youngsters slogged their way out into the central clearing, which sat beside a large lake, three training stumps, and a war memorial in the shape of a kunai. With very little light to work with, the kids couldn't really appreciate the sights around them to their fullest. So, after depositing their bags by the stumps, the members of Team 7 moved out into the middle of the grove where a lone tree stood nearest to the water.

As they ambled across the grass, a passive-looking Sasuke then noticed something off about Naruto's appearance. "Tama didn't want to come out today?"

The blond shook his head. "She was asleep and I didn't want to wake her. Plus I thought it would be kind of pointless to force her to come all the way out here just to watch us go through another exam." He turned to look at the Uchiha with his hands in his pockets. "It wouldn't be a proper assessment if she was here with us. We need to show that we can do this on our own terms and with our own skills."

Sasuke nodded. "Fair enough."

After giving a loud and much-needed yawn, Sakura turned her attention to Naruto. "Could you tell me what's going on now, Naruto-kun? Why did you want us to come out here so early?" Surely there had to be a seriously good reason behind this madness.

Human beings weren't meant to wake up at three o'clock in the morning.

The blond in question focused up on the pair standing behind him with a firm expression. "I went to visit Tenten-chan after our meeting with Kakashi-sensei on the academy rooftop. When I was at her place, she told me about the test that her instructor gave to her squad after graduation. Apparently, in order to figure out whether they would make a good team for him, he had all three of them fight him head-to-head in a full-on taijutsu slugfest." His announcement had Sasuke and Sakura give him a look of surprise, which prompted Naruto to turn their attention to the field around them. "After he kicked the crap out of them for about half the day, he officially decided to take them on as his apprentices. That's how Tenten got to be where she is today."

Quickly picking at the details of the blonde's story, Sakura then took a concerned step forward. "So… are you saying that Kakashi-sensei is going to make us fight him? Three-on-one? That's just-"

"Actually… I don't think it's going to be that straightforward," Sasuke suddenly cut in, drawing the pair's gaze as the Uchiha looked down at his feet. "Tenten's teacher is a taijutsu master, right? Someone who is headstrong, robust, and perspiring raw power? If that's the case, then it makes sense that someone reflecting those kinds of traits would put his squad through a contest of physical strength and skill. But this Kakashi guy… he's not like that. He seems more like the cold, calculating type of shinobi: someone who is incredibly shrewd and prefers using intelligence and wit over brute force." He then looked across at Naruto seriously. "From the stories I've heard about him, he's supposed to be really scary."

Naruto crossed his arms and lowered his head. "Tenten-chan said something similar about him. Apparently Kakashi-sensei was given two more squads before us… and he failed both of them after they couldn't pass his screening. She said it's because the criteria he set was incredibly strict and that none of the squads were able to live up to his insane expectations." The blonde then looked up at his friends, unable to hide the nervous bead of sweat that appeared on his face. "Honestly, guys… if he's as tough as everyone says he is… then I think we're going to be in for a really long morning."

This was something that neither one of them wanted to think about leading into their final test, let alone talk about. But looking at their current circumstances, it was unavoidable. Both Naruto and Sasuke realized this and, with the high chance of failure looming over the horizon, an overwhelming sense of dread fell over them, prompting the pair to tense up and sulk. They were completely on edge- tapping their feet and fingers respectively as they hastily attempted to figure out a solution to their incredibly big problem. But with so many factors and so many unknowns to take into account, they just didn't know where to start.

" _What can we do?"_ Naruto thought, raking his brain for an answer just as his other teammates were.

While the two boys were mulling things over and coming close to experiencing a nervous breakdown, Sakura, noticing the pair's stress and anxiety growing by the second, was promptly shaken out of her state of unease and back into the world of the living.

At first the kunoichi wanted to freak out like the rest of them. The hopelessness of their situation and the trial to come weighed heavily on her mind, making her chest tighten painfully and her muscles quake. However, when the girl noticed Naruto and Sasuke starting to doubt their abilities to succeed, the two young men who weren't afraid of anything and had pulled through all the hard yards so far, the pinkette knew that if she didn't step up and try something, then their team was going to fail. Since she was a part of their group, she knew she had to do something as well.

She couldn't let the boys carry all the weight by themselves. If she did, then she would never be able to live with herself, nor would she be able to stand alongside the young man that she had a crush on.

In that moment, Sakura's resolve was made. Taking a small step back followed by a deep breath, which helped in calming her overworked mind, she considered their situation from a distance.

After pondering over the details of their instructions, the kunoichi turned to the field behind them and marched into the open clearing. "The test is going to be out here, right?" Sakura asked in a determined voice, surprising the two boys and prompting them to give the pinkette their undivided attention. Receiving no answer, though not really needing it, the adolescent turned back around. "We've got two more hours before sun up. So let's make the most of it and get ourselves ready."

Sasuke blinked as he looked at their confident looking teammate. "You have something in mind?"

"I like solving problems," Sakura informed, a smile turning on her lips as she looked back at the two boys. "Even though this is a practical test, I know that with enough careful planning and calculating, we'll be able to overcome it." She then pointed towards the greenery behind them. "Based on what we already know about our instructor and what we've been able to find out, the test is going to be a purely physical one confined to just one location. And since every single graduating group has been assigned to three-man squads, it's obviously going to be an exam that tests our knowledge and teamwork. So, whatever mission Kakashi-sensei has in store for us, it's going to involve the three of us working together against _him_."

Hearing what Sakura had to say loud and clear, the switch inside Naruto's head eventually clicked. "He wants to see if we can put aside our egos and cooperate." It made sense. After speaking with the gangs at the warehouse yesterday and hearing from one of them how the instructors completely ignored their individual qualities and only focused on the squad, everything added up.

Sasuke worked this out at the same time, a smirk forming as he turned his attention to Sakura. "Our squad is a mixture of alphas with different levels of talent and skill… so that means he's going to be looking for opportunities to exploit those and force us to work against each other. But we're not going to let that happen." The Uchiha then pointed at himself. "We can start by combining our strengths. I've got long range ninjutsu and a dōjutsu that we can use…"

"And I've got close-combat and physical strength," Naruto added, at the same time looking across at Sakura. "And Sakura-chan has intelligence and strategy on her side... some of the best from our class."

Beaming warmly at the delinquent's support in her, the kunoichi then pointed at her. "I'm also great at setting traps. Since we've got an open field with a tree line surrounding the entire grove, we have plenty of blind spots and resources we can work with." Sakura then walked forward and beckoned the boys over. She then crouched down on the floor and, picking up a stick, began to draw in the patch of dirt that was there. Naruto and Sasuke meanwhile looked on with intent, with the former squatting down to join the girl as she did a rough sketch of their location. "Here's what we're going to do…"

OOO

(Six hours later)

The thing that Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura hated about their teacher right at that very moment, it wasn't the fact that he was tough, or hid his face behind a mask, or was giving them an impossible test that, if they failed it, they would be sent back to the academy. No. What they hated about Kakashi the most was that he was making them _wait_.

The man was ridiculously unpunctual. Even though he'd set the time and place for them to meet and had informed them that it was crucial that they be at the location on the dot, even after an hour has passed since their supposed rendezvous, the guy still wasn't here. And so, with everything all set and ready for the mission to come, and with all three Genin members of Team 7 present and accounted for, they waited.

Once again finding themselves in a position of nothing to do, Naruto and his two friends chose to wait out the dawn in the center of the field, their eyes glued in three different directions as they counted the minutes to their instructor's eventual appearance… which apparently wasn't going to be happening anytime soon. But, being the patient and diligent little students that they were, the trio held back their frustrations and instead opted for calm and relaxing silence.

All their planning was done, and all their positions and steps had been clearly outlined in their heads. So in the event that this test did in fact turn out to be a physical battle between them and their Jonin sensei, they would be able to turn the tables on him and catch him by surprise.

Until then there was nothing else to do but wait.

And of course, because they had so long to wait, the trio even cracked out three sets of bento boxes for breakfast, which Naruto had happily gone out and bought for them prior to their arrival. Since they expected their teacher to be running super late, the trio figured that it would be okay to load up on fuel before their eventual examination. So, going against their leader's instructions, they ate, and boy was it delicious.

By the time the sun has risen to its point at nine o'clock, the three kids were still positioned back to back with one another and at relative attention. While Sakura was sitting on the floor and Sasuke was standing in place with his arms crossed, the pair suddenly became aware of a very strange sound. Looking at one another in confusion when the noise persisted, they then turned to Naruto, where they could see him standing straight up with his hands in his pockets, head down and his eyes closed.

Sakura blinked as she stared at the delinquent, as she quickly realized what must have happened. "Is Naruto-kun… asleep?"

"Maybe." Giving the boy an odd look over, the Uchiha prodigy walked up to the delinquent and looked right at his face. Waving a hand in front of the blonde's eyes and getting no response, Sasuke then snapped his fingers at the kid's ears. He then recoiled when he didn't get a single tell or twitch from his friend. "Shit. He is asleep."

Standing up as well, the pinkette moved around to have a look at the dozing blond for herself. "He's standing up. How is he able to do that?"

"With practice, I guess?" Sasuke murmured, at the same stepping back with his arms folded. "The dobe isn't what you would call a normal person. The kid can probably train all night while taking a power nap." Muscle memory. That probably explained how he was able to sleep right now.

Giggling a little when she heard the blond snore a little louder where he was propped up, an amused Sakura then reached forward and gently shook the Genin by the shoulders. "Hey. Naruto-kun. Wake up. It's daytime."

The swaying eventually helped to kick the blond out of his hibernation state, causing him to look up with a start. "Huh? Wha? What's going on? Is he here yet?" the 'jinchuriki' asked, obviously discombobulated from being woken so suddenly. When he saw Sakura's face floating right in front of his with that innocent look of curiosity in her eyes, the groggy boy blinked back to life. "Oh. Hey, Sakura-chan. 'Sup?"

Realizing that her face was directly in front of the delinquent's, the pinkette's cheeks lit up a bright red and a nervous sweat broke out over her face. Stuttering a little as her eyes took in the cute visage of the whiskered youngster, from the battle scar on the edge of his left eyebrow to the rugged curve of his jaw, the girl promptly spun around and straightened her back.

"N-N-Nothing. Just… making sure you're okay," Sakura squeaked in a somewhat high-pitched voice. "Y-You were asleep."

"Oh. Really? S-Sorry about that," Naruto apologized, extending arms and stretching out his back. "I must have dozed off again."

Sasuke chuckled as he watched the blond flex out his muscles from not moving for the last hour. "We have a big test coming up and somehow you can still find the time to catch a few winks… standing up no less."

"Hey, I was bored and there was nothing else to do. Getting a few minutes of extra shuteye seemed like a really good idea," Naruto replied, giving a big yawn afterwards that earned an amused headshake from the Uchiha, who then turned his attention back to the field. "Man. As short as it was, it was still a good nap."

Of course the pair's little bout of verbal jabs never really got the chance to take off. Just a couple minutes after Naruto was roused from his slumber, the group was soon greeted by the familiar yet hateful sight of their teacher walking up to them from the direction of the field's entrance. Smartly dressed in his standard-issue shinobi uniform, carrying a backpack, and looking as though he'd had both a beautiful night's sleep and a filling breakfast, Kakashi Hatake stopped just a few yards from his team and waved to them cheerfully.

"Morning everyone. Ready for your first day?" the Jonin greeted.

Bags under their eyes and eyes twitching, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke returned the man's friendly salutation with a well-earned, _**"You're late, damn it!"**_

The man then gave a sheepish look as he pointed over his shoulder. "Well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." His team of youngsters was unconvinced, but before they could really lay into their instructor over his tardiness, Kakashi then made his way over to the three tree stumps nearby. "Well then… *ahem*… let's get started."

Watching him closely, the group of youngsters observed as their leader set his bag down on the floor and pulled a timer out of it. He then set the clock on top of the middle stump and pushed down on the starter. "There. It's set for noon." After making his way back over to his team and standing across from them, a light jingle then filled the air as he then pulled a pair of tiny silver bells from his pocket and dangled them in front of him. "Your assignment for today is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the simplicity of his instructions. "That's it?"

"Wait for it," Naruto and Sasuke whispered to her.

Kakashi then pointed towards the three tree stumps on the edge of the field. "If you can't get them by noon you'll go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."

" _Ah. There it is,"_ the three kids thought at once, with obvious looks of displeasure on their faces. Honestly, they kind of suspected that their teacher had something cheeky in mind when he was setting his test.

"Each of you needs to get one bell," Kakashi informed as he then went about securing the mission's goal to his belt. As soon as they'd been tied, the silver-haired man continued. "There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to a post at the end of the day. The person who doesn't take a bell will ultimately be disqualified for failing to complete the mission and get sent straight back to the academy. But then again… all three of you has a high chance of failing… so make sure to do your best. Any questions?" He got three hard stares from the members of the team, which was something he expected as he then slipped a hand into his pocket. "Very well. You can use any and all means to complete the objective- weapons, jutsu, shuriken, hand-to-hand, explosives, etc. Because if you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells and hence will not be fit for active duty as shinobi."

" _Oh, we have no problems with that,"_ Naruto said as he then proceeded to stretch his arms and legs in preparation for the fight to come.

"Are you sure about this, sensei?" Sakura asked, as she saw that both her male teammates were ready to go. "Those weapons are incredibly dangerous. Not to mention using jutsu-"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure I can handle it," the man chirped, before cracking a smile at the looks of determination that appeared on the trio's faces. "Now that you all understand what's at stake and the parameters given, we can start. On my mark…" He then lifted his hand and, after watching the three kids crouch down into similar starting stances, dropped his arm. "BEGIN!"

He then watched the three break off and vanish into the tree line.

OOO

The test started off smoothly for the members of Team 7, particularly for their instructor Kakashi Hatake, who had opted to remain in the center of the field in order to better monitor his team's progress and performance. He'd given them the chance to put some distance between themselves and him, as he knew that if he'd gone after them he wouldn't be able to give them a complete or fair assessment of their skills. But now that they've hidden, he knew that the fun part was just about to begin.

With the first twenty minutes passing by without a single breath or sound being made, the masked Jonin slipped his hands into his pockets and scanned the forest running around the perimeter of the clearing for any traces of his team.

A smart shinobi was the one that hid himself well. Since all three of them were aware of the mission's ultimate objective, they knew that they had to keep their instructor within sight, but at the same time act smart and conceal their presence. After a lengthy silence and a period of searching, Kakashi nodded his head in approval at what he was able to observe.

" _The most basic practice of a shinobi is to be able to conceal their presence. That means taking advantage of their surroundings to blend into their environment and hide effectively,"_ Kakashi recited in his head as he glanced around the area. "Good. They've hidden well."

Overall, the positions that the members of the team had selected were superb, and allowed them to keep an eye on their instructor from a safe distance. Whilst Sasuke had perched himself in a tree on the edge overlooking the clearing, Sakura had managed to conceal herself behind some bushes, with a kunai drawn and resting comfortably in her grip. Both of them were watching the clearing with serious, focused expressions on their faces, and were keeping their teacher squarely in their sights.

Naruto too had also found a good hiding spot in the brush on the far side of the clearing, keeping his body comfortably hidden behind a trunk. He too was locked in a battle ready state and had selected his position based on the strategy he and his team had formed.

Hopefully, if all went well, they would be able to pull this off without a hitch.

" _Okay. Kakashi-sensei has taken up position in the middle of the field,"_ Sakura thought as she continued to scan the area around the Jonin. Quickly doing the math in her head and ticking off boxes on her checklist, the girl nodded affirmatively. _"If we can somehow get him to move to the right for about ten more feet, we should be able to get him."_ That was where their first trap had been laid out- ready and waiting. However…

" _The only problem is that we have no idea what the guy's really capable of,"_ Sasuke muttered, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head as his fingers twitched a little. _"We don't know how he fights, how fast he moves, how strong he is, or what the hell kind of techniques he has up his sleeve."_ Heck, maybe he already knew where they were hiding but was taking it easy on them to give them a fair chance. Of course this did present another problem for the group. _"I sure hope Naruto has it in him to go the mile…"_

Over on his edge of the field closest to the lake, the jinchuriki in question narrowed his eyes on the Jonin's spot and checked his surroundings. _"He's standing out in the open, with a perfect three hundred and sixty degree view of the area. With the way he's turning his back to the trees, he's just waiting for us to make the first move."_ Clenching his fist tightly as he saw the scarecrow of a man do another turn a few seconds later, the blond then took a steady breath. _"When Sakura-chan gives the signal, I'm going to have to move quickly."_

And the best way to do that was with as little weight as possible. So, factoring in his chances of success with his chances of failure, the blond pulled back his sleeve and unclipped the weight band on his right arm.

After another half an hour had passed with the clock still ticking atop the center post, Kakashi, still holding his station in the middle of the clearing, casually slipped a hand into his pocket and looked over his shoulder. Concern gradually swept through him, not out of any sense for his own safety and wellbeing, but because neither one of his students had decided to show themselves or make any attempts to try and go for the bells.

" _Hmm… one of them should've tried something by now,"_ Kakashi thought as while drumming a finger against his leg. _"They know they're on a time limit… not to mention what will happen to them if they fail."_ A weary sigh then passed through his mask as after a couple more minutes of waiting, the Jonin then opted for a change of tactics. _"Very well… if they won't make the first move… then I'll just give them a reason to…"_ He then reached into his pouch and rummaged about inside of it for a few seconds.

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura then braced themselves, thinking that the man was reaching for a weapon of some kind. They then nearly face-faulted to the floor when they saw their teacher pull an orange book out of his carrier and flip it open, with the title clearly reading _Icha Icha Paradise._

" _What in the world?"_ Naruto thought when he saw the man casually flick through the pages.

"Now… let's see…" Kakashi mumbled to himself happily as he landed on the section he had doggy-eared. "Ah yes. Here we go. Chapter three…"

" _He can't be serious?"_ Sasuke muttered in his head as he gave the man a deadpanned look. _"He's supposed to be giving us a test and he's cracking out a book? Is he that confident that he can take on all of us without even trying?"_

Eye twitching, Sakura then took a deep breath and, reaching back into her pouch, drew a handful more shuriken. Her eyes fully locked onto their target, the girl then nodded. _"Well… if there was ever going to be an opening… that's it!"_ Clenching the weapons between her fingers intently, the girl then steadied herself before, with a grunt, she darted out from behind cover. _"NOW!"_ She then hocked the shuriken and kunai across the field, watching them sail over the area at speed before ducking back behind another tree.

The weapons curved through the air at random angles, before converging on their target from the side. But just before they could come into contact with Kakashi, the seemingly unfocused Jonin swiped his hand through the air, caught the kunai, before promptly deflecting all of the shuriken trailing after it, all without looking. Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw this, her heartbeat then quickening when she saw their instructor's gaze snap to the tree line where she was concealed.

"Bingo," Kakashi thought, snapping his book closed and preparing to give chase. _"I knew one of them would slip up eventually-"_ However, just as he was in the process of turning, a shadow out of the corner of his eye caused his head to whip back around. He then recoiled in shock when all he saw flying towards him was the point of somebody's knee. "WHOA!" The man then swung his arm up to block, before a deafening 'crack' rang out as what felt like a cannon ball slammed into his limb.

" _ **Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) Naruto bellowed as he drove his attack into his target as hard as he could, before watching Kakashi fly off his feet.

Dropping back to the floor promptly, the Jonin skidded to a stop several moments later, arms still raised in a block and eye now locked onto his second attacker. When he saw Naruto touch down as well, the silver-haired male smiled. "Well, well… it took you guys long enough to break the silence."

Naruto smirked, "Just waiting for the right moment to strike, dattebayo. You weren't really giving us many chances."

"I assume that was Sakura who threw the shuriken from the undergrowth," Kakashi said, at the same time giving the boy an inquisitive look. "Were you waiting for one of the others to attack so that you could make your own move?"

"Yep," the blond replied, retaking his stance with his left arm dropped and his right hand held protectively at his face, as he took on a very cross-armed sort of stance. "I needed you to be distracted enough before I could even try going in for an attack… and it looks like it worked."

At this remark the older shinobi gave a lighthearted laugh before straightening up, at the same time slipping his book back into the pouch behind him. "I have to say, I'm impressed by your intuition. Taking advantage of an opponent's momentary lapse in focus to launch an attack is certainly a tactic worthy of praise." After fastening his holder, Kakashi then gave Naruto a more serious look. "But… I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than one hit to beat someone of my level."

Naruto smiled back in response. "I know. That's why I'm going to try and get about a hundred hits in."

As the pair faced off with one another in the middle of the field, a now more alert Kakashi glanced down at his left arm, which he'd used to block the blonde's hit. He then gave a bit of a wince when he felt pins and needles run up and down his extremity, which told him everything he needed to know about the boy that'd came at him. _"Damn. I wasn't paying attention and he managed to get me clean in the arm. Even though I was able to block it, that jumping knee that he threw was no joke."_ Had he actually hit him in the head or center mass, he could've easily knocked him out… or worse. After flexing his fingers to wear out the numbness, the Jonin once again glanced back up at the battle ready Naruto. _"This kid… he's something else."_

On the other end of the spectrum, the blond delinquent was currently doing his own assessment of his target. _"This guy was able to block the full force of my Goodnight Knee,"_ Naruto thought, breaking down what he was able to witness from their split-second exchange. _"He didn't absorb it. He deflected it by pushing my knee to the side at the last second to put me off target."_ Even when caught completely by surprise, the Jonin was able to react to defend himself.

He was sharp.

After holding his position for about a minute, sizing up his foe and measuring the distance between them, Naruto then spared a brief glance to another part of the clearing. Upon which he then widened his stance, took a deep breath, and kicked off the ground. What happened next was Kakashi recoiling in surprise when he saw the young Genin transform into an orange blur, which sprinted around him in a wide arc and reappeared deep inside his range on his left side.

In the blink of an eye, the blond had managed to close the distance between them.

" _He's fast!"_ Kakashi blinked in alarm, leaning back sharply to dodge the blonde's back fist. He was then forced to throw his left arm up to block the jumping spinning back-kick that he followed up with, which ended up slamming into the man's arm and bouncing his forearm off of his head when he underestimated how strong it was. _"Ngh! And strong."_ Feeling the force of a mule's kick powering into his guard, the Jonin quickly parried the leg away, before blocking and dodging the flurry of attacks that immediately came after him.

Using quick hand and body movements, the taller shinobi started backpedaling across the field as Naruto lashed out at him with a string of random punches and kicks, all of which he fired off at him at an unrelenting pace. Hopping back a little further to dodge a low kick to the leg, Kakashi then had to block high when the youngster leapt at him with a flying right cross- the Jonin using two hands to absorb the force of the hit when it threatened to smash into his face.

" _His physical strength is unreal,"_ Kakashi thought, expression tense as he struggled a bit to hold back the power of the kid's blow. _"Just how much time did he spend training to get this strong?"_ In terms of taijutsu, he is just as good as Gai was at that age, maybe even better. But his strength was on an entirely different level.

While Sasuke watched carefully from his position in the trees as the blond danced and rushed around his taller opponent in a barely visible shimmer, Sakura, after also looking on in amazement, then moved the kunai she was holding over to a rope that she had attached to a stake next to her. This trigger was also connected to another mechanism, which she had hidden in the ground.

Limb trembling as she held her position, the anxious kunoichi gritted her teeth as she watched her teammate attempt to herd Kakashi towards the area nearby, but was finding it very difficult due to how the man was currently avoiding his assault.

" _Come on, Naruto-kun. Get him to move towards the stumps,"_ Sakura thought.

As for Naruto, he thought he was doing pretty well. Right now he was chasing down Kakashi with pretty much everything he had, jumping and lashing out at the man as fast as his body would allow him. Every one of his punches and kicks were trained and targeted, aiming for every vital spot on the man's body to keep him on his toes, while at the same time mixing in low and high shots to keep the adult from retaliating. From a distance, Naruto's form would blur out every time he changed directions and rushed in, while his attacks caused dust to billow around them.

So far his strategy was working.

Kakashi, struggling somewhat to find an opening in Naruto's combos to catch and counter him, then attempted to step in with hook. When he threw it, he watched the blond duck under and dart to his far left, below his field of vision, forcing the older shinobi to crane his head to keep him in the corner of his eye.

" _He keeps going for my left,"_ the Jonin thought, watching the blonde's form blur out as he jumped at him. Instinctively dodging a spin kick to the head from the deft youngster, Kakashi then jumped away and attempted to put some more distance between them. But no matter where he moved or how he evaded, Naruto just followed, charging after him at full pelt before once again diving to his right. _"He's deliberately targeting my blind spot where my headband is covering my eye. Clever."_ The man then checked a kick and the right elbow that followed, catching it with his guard. _"He really is a natural hand-to-hand fighter."_

Going after the Jonin with a barrage of straights, Naruto then sprung into the air again and, performing a very acrobatic spin, thrust his leg out at Kakashi's head in a swift side kick. When his foot thumped against the forearm that appeared, he then saw the Jonin swiftly grab his ankle and trap him. But just when it seemed like he was about to get caught, the blond suddenly threw himself on top of Kakashi's upper body; wrapping his free leg around the man's back, snapping his right arm around the adult's head, and thrusting his left elbow down towards Kakashi's skull in a downward elbow.

The Jonin reacted in alarm at having the blond grab him and threw up his remaining free arm to block the string of vicious elbows Naruto began hammering into his cranium. Catching a few in the hairline, the man grunted in pain as he attempted to fend off the ferocious animal that was the young delinquent. _"His attacks just keep coming. I can't even lock him up."_ Managing to work his other arm out from under the boy's leg, Kakashi then caught the blonde's elbowing arm. However, his releasing of Naruto's foot meant Naruto was able to cartwheel in his grip and drop a knee into his head, forcing Kakashi to block high with both arms across.

This turned out to be the Jonin's big mistake, as it left his midsection completely exposed, including the bells hanging around his waist. It was exactly what Naruto was intending as he thrust his hand out to grab them. This unexpected maneuver caused Kakashi's lone eye to widen.

" _Shit!"_ Using quick reflexes, Kakashi released the blonde and leapt back as fast as he could, watching the kid cartwheel out of the air after his fingers barely grazed the two bells. Clapping a hand over the jingling metal trinkets to make sure they were still there, the Jonin skidded to a stop several yards away, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. Though his hair was messy from deflecting the close-range pummeling, the man was still unharmed. _"He's fierce… he didn't even give me time to breathe."_

As it turns out he didn't have time now either. The moment Naruto looked up and grinned, the Jonin suddenly felt it.

" _Gotcha!"_ Sakura thought, cutting the rope next to her with a loud 'snap'.

The instant she did, the ground beneath Kakashi and for about thirty yards in all directions caved in. Imploded. Vanished. Dropping the Jonin into a pit ten meters deep with a thousand stakes lying beneath it. Naruto, knowing the floor would give way, managed to backflip away and land safely on the edge of their specially made crevice, whereas his silver-haired adversary, caught right in the middle of the trap, gave a yelp of terror as he was sent plummeting into the pit along with several rocks and branches. For one nerve rattling second, the members of Team 7 thought that they were about to watch their elite instructor make a miraculous escape attempt.

A cloud of dust shot into the air from their trap going off, covering the area and, for a brief few seconds, blocked everyone's view of the scene. But then, just when things seemed to be going exactly as planned, a loud series of snaps and the sickening sound of flesh being punctured suddenly echoed from the bottom of the hole, closely followed by silence.

Naruto and Sasuke, being the only ones elevated enough to be able to witness the whole thing, gaped in horror when, after watching the smoke dissipate over the hole, they saw their instructor's body had landed on a dozen spikes, back first, with the wooden stakes running right through him.

For all intents and purposes, the man now resembled the goriest hedgehog you'd ever seen.

"Shit," the Uchiha choked out. _"Did the net we set up break? What the heck happened?"_ Obviously they didn't want their target to fall completely into the hole, so they set up a bunch of ropes to snare him before he could even hit the stakes.

But judging from what'd just transpired, it looked like the secondary mechanism had failed. But how?

"Uhh…" Naruto gulped as he looked over the side of the small canyon and to the bottom, where they saw the perpetually stunned Kakashi's dead eye staring back up at him, his body limp and propped up on the wooden spikes impaling his body. "I think… we just killed our teacher…"

"Not quite."

Eyes still locked on the body, the blond delinquent at the top of the hole suddenly balked when he saw 'Kakashi' go up in a puff of smoke, becoming replaced by a straw man covered in shinobi clothes. Realizing that the body had in fact just been a delayed _**Kawarimi no Jutsu**_ (Body Replacement Technique), Naruto then spun around when a shadow darted past him. A split second later the boy felt his arm seized and his legs kicked out from under him, before he was slammed chest first into the ground.

The next thing he knew was his face being pushed into the grass by a still astonishingly alive Kakashi Hatake, who was now kneeling on top of the youngster with his hand keeping his arm locked behind him.

"But it was a good effort though," the Jonin chirped, having to push down quite hard as Naruto desperately fought against him, attempting to break free. But with the way Kakashi was now holding him and keeping his center of gravity down, all the blond could do was writhe uselessly, his feet scraping across the floor behind them.

"D-Damn it," Naruto cursed under his breath, unable to muster his strength or flexibility to break free. _"He got me."_ The man had him trapped good and practically at his mercy.

As he continued to feel the gutsy Genin fight against him, the completely calm and unharmed Kakashi spoke. "Your taijutsu is superb, Naruto-kun… probably the best I've ever seen in a Genin. But if that's all you are able to do against me, you're at a major disadvantage," he informed, applying a bit more pressure to the youngster's arm to keep him down. Even though he had a good hold of him, the child was still incredibly strong. It was like he was trying to hold down a horse. "Without knowing any other ninjutsu except the ones taught to you at the academy, I'm afraid you don't have a hope of beating me."

Naruto strained weakly, looking up at his teacher from his pitiful position in the dirt. The moment his eyes landed on his instructor and he saw the man staring down at him seriously, a sly grinned then crossed the delinquent's lips.

"Who says I don't know any ninjutsu?"

In that moment, Kakashi's eye widened, a split second before a shadow suddenly flew out from behind the man and clocked him in the side of the head by a jumping roundhouse kick. The blow to his blind spot landed with a loud clang as the Jonin was literally thrown across the field and off of the hapless Naruto, freeing him from his hold. That's what it looked like at least.

However, contrary to what everyone thought, the older shinobi was able to bend away at the last moment to absorb the force of the kick, thereby negating some of its power. The rest of the blow reverberated against Kakashi's headband, while the man threw his body back as best as he could to avoid the followthrough.

Managing to perform a corrective backflip and land several feet away from the Genin, the dazed Jonin then looked up with a start where, much to everyone's surprise, they saw two Narutos now standing there and grinning at him. "What the…?"

"I-Is that…" Sakura whispered, rubbing her eyes a couple of times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Nope. She wasn't. Standing next to the previously trapped Naruto and looking raring to go was, in fact, _another_ Naruto. A perfect doppelganger, sharing the exact same physical traits, characteristics, and appearance as the original. Hell, he had the exact same grin and battle scar as well.

At first neither Sakura nor Sasuke had any idea what was going on. That was until Kakashi quickly worked out what the boy had done.

"The _**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_?" (Shadow Clone Technique) the Jonin murmured, taking a moment to process what he was witnessing before allowing a frown to cross his lips. _"No way. His school records showed that he couldn't perform any advanced techniques outside of taijutsu."_ Heck, he couldn't even perform the basic _Bunshin no Jutsu_ successfully at his final exam. So how was this even possible?

While Kakashi was trying to figure this out, one of the two smiling Naruto doppelgangers reached for the cylindrical holster hanging from his back. "On the night we took down Mizuki, I had a bit of extra time to take a closer look at that giant scroll he stole from the Hokage and found this technique. After reading about what it was, I tried practicing it for the last two nights in secret and… well… as you can see…" Cracking the canister open, he then flung out a folded up staff, which he quickly snapped to full length and held it out for the copy to take, which he did. "It's turning out to be quite a cool jutsu!" With a loud yell, he then picked up his doppelganger friend and, performing a big spin, flung him towards Kakashi like a missile.

Telegraphing the blonde's approach, the Jonin chose wisely to dodge and sprang to the side as fast as he could. The moment the clone went sailing past, Kakashi then attempted to lock back onto the original, only to jump back again when a set of shuriken came arcing past him.

When the Jonin's eyes snapped towards the tree line of the forest, he caught a glimpse of a distantly observing Sasuke, perched up on one of the branches with his hand extended. Immediately after spotting him, Kakashi then had to change directions against when two more Narutos came running at him, with wooden staffs spinning between their hands as they came lashing out at the Jonin.

Blocking their attacks, Kakashi then cartwheeled over them and swiftly kicked one of the boys in the back, knocking him into his counterpart and taking them out in two, simultaneous puffs of white smoke.

" _Okay. This is starting to get very difficult,"_ a noticeably sweating Kakashi thought when he touched down a second later and had to duck to avoid the swing of the original Naruto coming at him from his blind spot. When the blond leapt into the air and swung back at his target with a spinning back kick, the Jonin blocked and promptly leapt away. " _So not only do I have to worry about the one that's attacking me, I also have to worry about the other two taking pot shots at me from the shadows."_ Deftly avoiding and springing away from the delinquent when he struck out at him with powerful swings of his staff, the instructor then stopped a few yards away and glanced at his feet to make sure he wasn't standing over another pothole. _"I also have to keep an extra eye out for any more traps-"_

Sakura meanwhile, still keeping herself concealed in the woods, smiled mischievously as she used her knife to cut yet another rope, which promptly vanished into the ground.

As Kakashi was keeping his attention fixed on Naruto, who was currently standing just a few feet in front of him with his staff drawn, the man then became aware of a low creaking sound behind him. When the noise grew louder, he then noticed the area around him darken and looked over his shoulder, where he suddenly found the lone, tall tree standing nearest to the lake toppling towards him.

Taking immediate action, the alarmed Jonin leapt into the air, dodging the tree as it came crashing to the floor and almost flattening him under its canopy.

" _These kids are coming after me non-stop,"_ Kakashi thought in amazement after springing high into the air and beginning his descent. _"Exactly how many of these things did they manage to lay out?"_

Before he could answer that question, Sasuke, having positioned himself high in the tree line, flew through hand seals, before then inhaling sharply. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) He then took aim and unleashed a torrent of fire from his lips, which expanded into a spinning ball of flames that then rocketed towards the airborne Kakashi.

Spotting the attack flying at him from the trees, the falling Kakashi couldn't help but balk at the size of the blast now coming at him. As he was in the air, he couldn't do anything to move, block or speed up his fall to avoid the attack, and for a moment it looked like he was doomed.

But once again keeping his wits about him, the Jonin pulled out a length of chain from his pouch and, with a quick spin of the counterweight, flung it towards the three stumps on the edge of the field and wrapped it around the left one. With a firm tug, he then yanked himself out of the sky and towards the obstacles, allowing him to dodge the twisting sphere of flames that shot past and barely grazed his foot.

"Woo. That was a close one," Kakashi whispered as he touched safely down on the ground and slid to a stop. However, just as he was once again regaining his bearings, a rustle from the bushes behind forced the man to refocus his attention on the forest, where he then saw Sakura come lunging out at him with a kunai.

With a yell, the girl struck, only to watch the man step back and avoid her strike, before promptly kicking her square in the stomach and knocking her away. Her knife flying out of her grip, the girl then crashed into the grass with a loud thud and a pained yelp, looking up through squinted eyes to see the Jonin lower his foot and begin walking towards her. Her knife landed on the floor right beside him.

"I'm guessing you guys are finally out of tricks," Kakashi said in his usual, straightforward tone. But just before he could move any closer to the girl, he caught a glimpse of a mischievous smile on her face, prompting his gaze to snap to the knife sticking in the ground next to him. "Oh, shoot" He saw the handle around the kunai spark, which instantly compelled him to jump away as quickly as he could. Sakura meanwhile curled up on the ground and cupped her ears.

A bright flash and a deafening bang then filled the area as the knife detonated, revealing an explosive tag had been wrapped around its handle. The blast of flames easily punched a small hole into the ground where it'd been set off, damaging everything that was caught within its radius. Unfortunately Kakashi wasn't one of them, as he'd managed to spring away just in time to dodge the cloud of debris.

"Okay. Not bad," the man sighed as he kept a stance, his one eye glancing from left to right. He now braced himself for the next attack, as he knew these kids were now out to get him. "Who's next?" His answer came not long afterwards when, also diving down at him from his blind spot, Sasuke came lunging at him with a kick.

The Uchiha let out a yell as he swung his leg out and attempted to hit the man in the head. Quick as ever however, Kakashi managed to bring his arm up and block the attack, which cracked against his limb loudly. He then promptly grabbed the kid's ankle, preparing to throw him. But Sasuke wasn't done, as indicated by his hands being fixed in a hand seal.

"Surprise!" Spinning downwards, the raven haired youngster put his fingers to his lips and, cheeks puffing up, he fired. _**"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Technique) A small ball of flames then shot out from his lips and slammed into Kakashi's chest, along with a couple more attacks, which exploded against the Jonin and sent him stumbling away.

Trailing flames and smoke, a now slight charred Kakashi emerged from the fumes with a wounded look on his face. Just as he saw Sasuke drop safely to the ground, his eye then snapped around to see Sakura once again rushing at him from nearby, but this time she had something else in hand.

"GET HIM, AIJO!" the pinkette shouted, chucking what looked like a long blue scarf at the Jonin. In that moment, the length of material unexpectedly came to life midflight and, fanning out and picking up speed, flew right into Kakashi's face.

The surprised shinobi only had enough time to yelp when the scarf suddenly wrapped around his entire face, the rest of its body whipping around his neck and beginning to tighten like a snake. Gasping for air as he was promptly smothered by the living shawl, the silver haired shinobi began clawing and pulling at the length of material constricting his head. With his eyes blocked out, he also couldn't see where he was, and started to lose balance.

The attacking members of Team 7 took this as their chance.

"NOW, SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto shouted, the boy flying at Kakashi from behind and slamming his feet into the stricken man's back. "ORAAA!" The force of his impact caused a loud 'thud' to echo across the field, at the same time the pink haired kunoichi tackled the Jonin's legs from the front, knocking the man into a violent tumble and slamming him into the ground. As a result the delinquent blond wound up on top of their larger opponent, pinning him to the ground with the man's arm in his grip, while Sakura had her entire body wrapped around Kakashi's left leg, locking him down and preventing him from kicking.

And just like that, it was over.

Panting and sweating profusely just as much as Naruto was, the adrenaline fueled Sakura then gave an affirmative nod and a triumphant smile. "Mission accomplished!"

As Sasuke quickly ran over to the group and stopped alongside them, the blond delinquent perched on top of the motionless warrior instructed his scarf-familiar to unwrap from around Kakashi's head and quickly return to its owner. Naruto then gave a bright grin when the length of cotton wool folded comfortably around his neck, allowing him to catch a glimpse of their somewhat surprised opponent. "It looks like we beat your test, Kakashi-sensei. Not bad for a bunch of academy students, huh?"

"We figured you would try to get us to work against each other and play by your rules. Since you failed several other teams before us, we assumed you were going to try something to test our dynamics and relationships… and not just our skills," Sasuke said from where he was standing, drawing the Jonin's gaze towards him. "So we spent the last few hours of this morning talking and coming up with a plan to take you down."

"The three of us had this whole field loaded with traps, and came up with a few different scenarios to follow in case the first one didn't pan out. When the first plan failed after you broke our net, fell into the hole, and used a replacement technique to make us think we'd actually killed you, we then had to go with route two," Sakura informed, keeping her arms locked around the man's ankle when she felt him try to move. "And by keeping your focus on Naruto-kun the entire time, it made it much harder for you to predict our next moves."

"And now it looks like the one getting tied up today is _you_ ," Naruto concluded, wiping his nose with his thumb while throwing a grin down at their trapped instructor. "How do you like that?"

As the still calm Jonin looked between the three smiling kids and listened to their plan, Kakashi at first didn't say anything. But then, just when it seemed like he was at a loss for words, he smiled through his mask. "I have to admit… I never expected you three to actually come together to take me down… and you did it so well. If this had been an actual, real world mission, I have no doubt that you guys would've done amazing." Upon seeing the smiles on their faces, the silver-haired man then frowned. "However…"

That was the only word he was able to speak before his whole body vanished in a puff of smoke, dropping Naruto and Sakura to the ground, while all three members of Team 7 balked in shock.

The blond delinquent crouched to the floor as he looked around in alarm. "A replacement? No. A shadow clone!" His eyes then snapped to another part of the field. "He can use that jutsu too?"

Sharingan spinning into view, Sasuke spun around and glared across the field, his jaw clenched and sweat dripping down the side of his face. "He's a Jonin, so it doesn't surprise me that he knows how to use that technique." Eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of their instructor, the Uchiha cursed under his breath. "Shit. This is not good."

Sakura, after realizing that their target was now gone, quickly scrambled to her feet and drew a kunai. "He was playing us this whole time! Naruto-kun?"

"Quick! Back to back!" Naruto shouted, spinning his staff in front of him before turning around, where he, Sasuke and Sakura then set their backs against each other. Eyes now facing in three different directions, the blond then took a defensive stance with his weapon pointed forward and ready to counter whatever came at them next. "Damn it. What now?"

" _ **As far as I'm concerned, the three of you still have so much more to learn,"**_ the voice of their sensei suddenly echoed around the field, causing the trio to freeze up. _**"Rule number two of being a shinobi; assumption is the mother of all screw ups. You have yet to complete your primary objective… and have just spent the last twenty minutes fighting a decoy. Now that I've forced you to show your hand, I can finally go about finishing this assessment."**_ A cold sweat then appeared on their faces and their skin became clammy when a crushing presence suddenly fell over them, choking the area and causing the sky to darken. _**"Your plan failed before it even began."**_

The man's voice was filled with cold malice, which was only topped by the unmistakable feel of impending death falling over the clearing. It sure as hell scared the shit out of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, all of whom were now desperately trying to figure out where their instructor's voice was coming from.

"Sasuke? C-Can you see him?" Sakura whispered over her shoulder.

"No. I can't," the Uchiha hissed back, his red eyes piercing the tree line and undergrowth for just the slightest sliver of their opponent. "He's masking his chakra signature somehow."

"I can't get a bead on him either," Naruto also spoke, extending all his senses over the area. When he couldn't track the man by sight, he then attempted to follow him through the killing intent he was exuding. But it was no use. "He's throwing and spacing out his voice so that we can't trace it back to him."

"So what do we do now?" Sakura asked, now at a complete loss as to what they can do.

For the next several seconds the trio remained in silence, searching their surroundings and keeping all eyes wide open. It was during that time Sasuke began eliminating possibilities as to where their opponent was concealing himself, with the youngster crossing each area off one by one.

" _Trees? Bushes? Lake? Field?"_ Sharingan darting left and right, the boy then looked up. _"Front? Sides? Behind? Above?"_ When he finally reached the bottom, Sasuke then recoiled and his gaze shot down. "No! Bel-!" Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his exclamation, as a pair of hands suddenly shot out of the ground, grabbed his ankles, and yanked him into the floor. All the Uchiha could do was scream as he was pulled in.

Naruto's eyes snapped over his shoulder to the cloud of dust hanging in the air, "Sasuk-GAAAAAH!" Before he was also pulled into the floor by the same pair of hands. The sound of Sakura's high-pitched squeak followed a split second later, as the kunoichi also feel victim to the same trap.

When the cloud of fumes settled moments later, it revealed all three kids, still in their triangle formation, buried all the way up to their necks in the ground. Completely bewildered and caught off guard by what'd just happened, the trio began struggling to try and get out, but found themselves unable to budge as the compacted earth was restraining their limbs and preventing them from moving. Even with Naruto's terrifying strength, he couldn't move, which came as a bit of conundrum for him.

"Ugh. What is this?!" the blond growled, unable to move his fingers or his shoulders, despite the latter being closest to the surface.

A light jingle from overhead then drew Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's gazes upwards, where they quickly spotted their cheeky instructor squatting down in front of them with a smile underneath his mask. "That would be _**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu**_ (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique). A useful technique that is ideal for trapping, torturing, and executing enemies from a grounded position. And now all three of you are stuck." After chuckling at the growls both Naruto and Sasuke threw at him, the silver-haired man then stood up and slipped his hands into his pockets. "As interesting a performance as this was… I think it's time I finished you all off. Starting with _you_." He said this while glaring down at Sakura, who froze up when she felt his ire fall over her.

"Hey! If you want to pick on someone, pick on me first!" Naruto barked, fighting against the earth and attempting to get out. But as hard as he tried, he still couldn't budge. "You leave her and Sasuke alone!"

"Oh? And why should I?" Kakashi asked, turning his attention to the blond before then deciding to speak to all of them at once. When he did, he began bombarding them with a menacing wave of outrage and disapproval. "Before this test had even started, all three of you broke every single rule and ignored every instruction I'd set out for you. You cheated by asking a senior colleague about previous examinations to find an easier way to pass, arrived at the training zone before the designated meeting time in order to adjust the layout of the testing area in your favor, ate a full breakfast when I specifically asked the three of you not to, completely ignored the initial objective of acquiring the two bells in favor of working together, and stuck your necks out for the other members of your team when there was absolutely no reason for you to do so! It was completely unacceptable and violates every single code a shinobi is expected to live by!" His reading out their errors caused the three kids' heads to lower in shame, as it was clear the man was not happy with how things had played out. "And for that, I only have one thing to say to you three."

When the man leant forward, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all expected the Jonin to fail them right then and there. They shut their eyes, fearing for what was to come as sweat continued to pour down their pale faces. With the way he had them now, buried, defenseless, and completely at his mercy, the three wouldn't be surprised if he decided to do away with them and assassinate them on the spot. He was well within his right too anyway, considering it was their main profession to be killers.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi waited for a moment and allowed the realization of their fates to settle in. That was until a cheerful smile then appeared through the lens of his one visible eye, which closed in a delighted manner.

"You pass."

Blank looks then came upon the team's faces, with Naruto and the other two staring up at the man in confusion. Of course, with the way they were currently buried, it made the scene all the more hilarious.

"Uhh… what?" Sakura murmured.

Kakashi chuckled at the trio's expressions. "You… _pass_. That's it. The test is over… and I've concluded that you guys completed it with flying colors." Straightening up, the man kept that bright look on his face as he then went about looking the youngsters over one by one. "Simply put, you three are the first."

Sasuke blinked. "First for what?"

"What I mean is that you guys are the first team I've ever tested who were able to set aside your personal interests and work together to complete a task that would've otherwise been impossible for you to complete on your own," Kakashi informed, beginning to pace around them as he went about assessing their performance. "The other groups did exactly what I told them and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. But you three… not only were you able to cooperate with one another and combine your strengths into a solid plan to engage me, you also went out of your way to exploit every avenue you could in order to finish with the best results." He then stopped and looked down at Sakura, whom he could see was still in a bit of a daze. "Even though your plans fell through, the three of you still went the distance… and put on a performance only the most seasoned Genin teams could ever pull off."

The man then looked across the field and towards the kunai-shaped stone at the edge of the area. When the three kids followed his gaze, they heard him continue to speak, this time with a far more down to earth voice.

"Sure, individual strength and ability is important for a shinobi. But what's more important than that is teamwork. It is an important concept that is deeply rooted in our village's everyday practices and is one of the many foundations that the world of shinobi is built upon. Ninjas are required to look and think beyond the norm, to see through deception, and to look underneath the underneath," Kakashi informed, before quickly turning back to the group with his unwavering expression. "It is also said that in the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That is true. But you know what?" The man broke out a soft and honest smile. "Those who don't take care of their comrades and abandon their friends… are even worse than scum."

And in that moment, everything seemed to turn for the better. The shadow cast by the clouds vanished as the white veil was dispersed, the temperature rose just a little higher, and the birds that had once been quiet during the great battle, once again started to sing. The scene quickly became one of peace and serenity, with the buried members of Team 7 gazing up at their instructor with renewed senses of warmth, confidence, and awe.

While Sasuke cracked a smile and Sakura closed her eyes with glee, Naruto couldn't help but let an admiring look fill his gaze, which shimmered at the look of pride Kakashi was giving them.

"He is so cool," Naruto whispered, earning a nod of agreement from his fellow Genin.

Once all that was said and done, and Kakashi had finished speaking his mind, he then gazed down at his team and gave them all a thumbs-up. "Training for today is complete. Everybody passes. Team 7 will start its first real mission tomorrow." When he heard Naruto and Sakura cheer, whereas Sasuke just kept smiling to himself, the Jonin then turned heel and waved. "Have a good night's rest and meet me here tomorrow at 7 o'clock sharp by the stumps. Great work you guys." He then proceeded to walk away.

As Kakashi started to leave, the three smiling and cheerful kids then suddenly became aware of a rather glaring problem, and quickly perked up in alarm.

"H-Hey! Sensei!" Sakura shrieked, causing the man to stop and turn back around. "Aren't you forgetting something?!"

Blinking as he stared at the kids, Kakashi then realized that the three of them were still buried and, considering their position for a moment, then gave a laugh. "Oh. Of course. Silly me." When it seemed like he was about to head back over to dig them out, the man then raised a finger and spoke. "Since I'm now officially recognizing you as my students and have taken up the mantel as your teacher, my first instruction to the three of you is to try and find a way to dig yourselves out." When he saw all three kids gape at him, the Jonin propped his hands on his hips. "Consider it a secondary training exercise to cap off today's assessment. I'll give you all till tomorrow morning."

"Huh? Wha… do… but…?" Naruto stuttered for a moment before a rather pissed off look appeared on his face. "Y-You can't be serious?"

"You're not seriously just going to leave us out here to rot, are you?!" Sakura shouted in disbelief.

"No. Of course not," Kakashi replied cheerfully, walking back over to his head-hunted youngsters and stopping beside the trio. "Starve. Maybe. But rot? No way. This is a public training area used by multiple teams and shinobi across village. That being said, I'm positive that if you aren't able to pull yourselves out by this evening, someone will eventually come along to help you." When he saw the three kids begin thrashing their heads about and shout various profanities at him that were better off left censored, the amused Jonin then reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of slips of paper. "Now, now. There's no need to get upset. Save that energy for the next several hours of digging you're going to do. Speaking of which…" He then walked a lap around the youngsters and popped a set of chopsticks between each of their lips. "Your tools for the expedition." Once he'd done that, he turned around and walked away. "You can start whenever."

"Hey! HEY! HEEEEEEY!" Naruto screamed, inadvertently dropping one of his chopsticks as he tried craning his head to see where the man was walking. "Come on, Kakashi-sensei! You can't just leave us like this! HEY! You ju-" When he realized the man was gone, the blonde's head dropped in defeat.

"Shit…" Sasuke mumbled.

For the next minute the three kids just lay there (or stood there, they couldn't really tell). But after a long period of awkward silence and looking at one another with irritated glints in their eyes, a frustrated Sasuke signed in resignation and started to brush away at the dirt with the chopsticks in his mouth. When they saw the Uchiha begin his endeavor, the mortified Sakura and Naruto sucked it up and started too. With expert use of his tongue, the whiskered delinquent managed to pick up the other cutlery he'd dropped and, with determination burning in his eyes, started flicking away at the ground.

"This... freakin'... sucks..." Naruto grunted between head turns as he started pushing sand away one tiny clump at a time. _"I'll be out of here in less than an hour!"_

Kakashi meanwhile, having collected his bag on his way out of the field, had started towards the gate on the edge of the property. Upon hitting the dirt path and passing by the zone's forest, the man stopped when he heard a person clearing their throat from behind a tree and, looking to his left, he saw the distinct form of Mikoto Uchiha leaning against the trunk with her arms crossed.

Dressed in her regular ANBU gear and Hokage robe, the smiling woman glanced across at the Jonin and beamed. "So… how did they do?"

Giving the woman his due respect, the silver-haired instructor responded confidently. "Well… they defeated my shadow clone and ruined most of the training ground by transforming it into a funhouse of certain death. If you want my honest opinion…" He then gave the woman his signature eye-smile and chuckled. "When they grow up… those three are going to become the most dangerous ninja in the world."

Blinking at this report then led to Mikoto breaking out a smile and looking back towards the field, where she knew the three youngsters were digging. Though she wasn't too surprised at the news, considering she'd watched the whole thing from a distance- and would also be keeping an eye on them to make sure they got out of their little predicament- she still couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming delight and self-assurance overcome her.

"That's exactly what I wanted to here."

And she meant it too.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Omake – Later that evening**

"Ahhh… God damn it!" Naruto cried out, his face covered in dirt as he gazed up at the slowly darkening sky above him. "This is horseshit! Why the hell are we still doing this?!" Panting a little as he let the chopsticks in his lips drop to the ground, he then craned his head and looked at the others. "How are things on your end, Sakura-chan? Status update."

Looking just as dirty as her blond teammate, a completely worn out girl gasped and let her head roll back. "Not good. I've only gotten about an inch… maybe an inch and a half." This much was obvious from the tiny hole she'd dug just beneath her chin with the pair of rice pincers. Unable to shake the miserable look on her face, Sakura then turned to her other male partner. "What about you, Sasuke? Have you made much progress?"

Still scooping clumps of dirt away with his chopsticks, the determined and still annoyed Uchiha prodigy sighed and glanced over his shoulder. "In the last two hours… very little." He then eyed the chopsticks in his mouth with an obvious ire. "Damn it. In what world did Kakashi think this was practical in any way? This is just stupid." Obviously the man was still messing with them. Seeing as how he was an elite ninja with decades of work and experience under his belt, it kind of made sense that the guy had a bit of a mean streak.

Given the militaristic style training they had to go through, one could almost view this as a hazing exercise. This was just complete and utter torture, plain and simple. Now the members of Team 7 could see why this technique was so useful against enemies. Just spending a day in the ground would be more than enough to get any spy or terrorist from any village to talk.

But to use it on them?

"Well, I'm not giving up!" Naruto shouted, sticking out his tongue and flicking the chopsticks back into his mouth. He then went back to scooping, trying to get to his right hand as fast as he could. "Ngh! I'm going to keep digging until I pass out or die! Ngh! Ngh!" Since his Ittan-momen partner Aijo was also buried with him, there was very little both of them could do in this situation.

After catching their breaths the other two members of the squad continued to dig as well. In the hours that they'd spent out here, they all figured out that if they dug towards one of their shoulders, they had a high chance of getting one of their limbs free. If they did that, they'd be able to get out of there much easier. All they had to do was dig for about a foot and they'd be gold.

For the next twenty minutes following their brief pause the youngsters kept at it, determined to make it out of their predicament before night settled in. The last thing they wanted to do was spend a night out there with the nocturnal neighborhood. However, while they were in the process of getting somewhere with their impossible task, the trio became aware of the sound of footsteps approaching. When they turned towards the furthest edge of the clearing, they saw the all too familiar forms of Tayuya, Yakumo, and Kurumi standing there, all carrying plastic bags and staring down at the team in surprise.

Upon seeing the three female members of Team 11, Naruto dropped his chopsticks and gasped in relief. "Oh, Sage! Yes! Thank you!" He then beamed across at the girls, his eyes welling up with tears. "Kami, we're so happy to see you guys!"

"This is the greatest moment ever!" Sakura also exclaimed, tears of joy running down her cheeks as she then gestured towards the three stumps at the edge of the clearing. "Quick! We've got trench shovels in our packs! Could you girls grab them and help dig us out?!" When she turned back to the trio and saw that neither of them were moving, the pinkette's overjoyed expression faltered somewhat. "Girls?"

At first not saying anything, Tayuya and her teammates simply stared at the group for about a minute. When the smiles of Team 7's faces vanished, they then watched as the red-headed flute player walked a few yards across the field, picked up a fallen tree log, and dragged it over. Upon seeing it on the grass, she and the other two girls sat down, put the plastic bags next to them, and pulled out the bento boxes they had inside.

Upon cracking them open, the trio began to eat, much to the confusion of the three stranded Team 7 members.

"Umm… hello?" Sasuke spoke.

Chewing on a piece of chicken, a completely relaxed Tayuya, not tearing her eyes away from the three kids, then leaned over and whispered to Kurumi. "Did you bring your camera?"

"Yep," the raven haired Uchiha girl answered, reaching into her top and pulling out said device.

"Awesome." Drawing a can of soda out of the shopping bag at her feet and cracking it open, a now widely grinning Tayuya then gestured towards the three kids with chopsticks in their mouths and signaled for them to proceed. "No, please. Continue. Don't mind us." The incredibly mischievous looks that appeared on Kurumi and Yakumo's faces when she said this pretty much revealed the real reason why they were there.

It took a few seconds for it to click. When it eventually did, the previously relieved Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura frowned and, in perfect unison, said the one thing that was most appropriate for that situation.

" _Oh, crap."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay, this chapter was a tad bit longer than I was expecting. But I'm pleased with the results.

It's always really hard coming up with alterations to the original bell test. Honestly, I could've done a dozen different tests, but all of them simply paled in comparison to the original. I always viewed the original test as a great way of Kakashi bringing out the skills in his three students, and considering it has been a long-used form of training used by different generations of shinobi, I decided to stick with it.

I also view Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's dynamic as a good one. Though it was poorly executed by Kishimoto in the original canon, I plan on improving it with this story. The characters are so much better when you don't make one a complete moron, one a complete dick, and the other a useless fan girl.

With the tweaks I've made, I plan on making this story one that carries itself amongst history's greatest.

If you guys were able to spot the famous historical warriors in this one, good on you. But just in case you missed them:

 **OOO**

 **Historical figure profiles (Part II):**

 **-Okita Soji (1842 or 1844 to July 19** **th** **1868)** – Regarded as one of the greatest and most famous swordsmen in history, Okita was the captain of the first unit of the _Shinsengumi_ , a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, sharing the top three seats along with Saito Hajime and Nagakure Shinpachi. Though a fine warrior, the man suffered from many health problems in his life, and supposedly died at a very young age from tuberculosis.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to his real-life counterpart, Okita is a fine warrior and a terrific swordsman, who currently holds the distinction as being the greatest swordsman in the world. He is also the leader of a group called the _Shinsengumi_ under the billionaire magnate Gato, and is apparently serving as Ryoda's bodyguard. Possessing skills and power similar to Mihawk (One Piece), using only his short-blade Okita has demonstrated the capability of generating a cutting force capable of slicing the ocean and atmosphere in half with a single swing. Though this was only a fraction of his awesome power.

 **-James Leslie 'Les' Darcy (31** **st** **October 1895 to 24** **th** **May 1917)** – Revered as a legend in his home country, Les Darcy was an Australian boxer from the middleweight division, but also held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title during his career. Renowned for fighting in both his homeland and the United States, he had a remarkable ring record for the time period- consisting of 56 fights and only 4 losses, in which he only lost in points and was never knocked out. Possessing a muscular physique that was impervious to the heaviest blows- even from heavy weight boxers- the man was famous for having a terrifying reach and a very fierce fighting style. He was embroiled in the politics of conscription in Australia during the lead up to WWI and, after moving to the US, died of septicemia.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to his real-life counterpart, Les Darcy is a boxer of great renown, and seems to have taken up a military and bodyguard role under Gato's organization. A member of the _Shinsengumi_ \- which the samurai Okita is also part of, and possessing a high rank as an officer, Les can be seen serving as a bodyguard to Gato's daughter Ryoda- until he is reassigned by the secretary to her father. His true strength is currently unknown, but for him to be given a place on the _Shinsengumi_ in the same class as Okita, must mean that he is an incredibly powerful warrior.


	14. Demon Hunt Arc - The Smiling Woman

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Smiling Woman_

(Two weeks later)

It was nighttime and, across the numerous population centers making up the busy areas of _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire), everything was calm and peaceful. Among the list of towns and prefectures sharing in this bountiful evening included the village of Isahaya, a small community located in the heart of a large forest with a river running through it. The oriental style homes making up the various blocks and neighborhoods of the settlement were a lit by a multitude of roadside lanterns, as well as the occasional neon sign hanging over a bar or club. This combination of illumination served to create a very welcoming and pleasant atmosphere in an otherwise uneventful area.

On this particular night, one of the clubs poised on the edge of the district was currently playing host to a handful of customers, all of whom had been celebrating the end of a long day of work for the last few hours. As the men and women inside chatted and laughed boisterously with one another, and the sounds of cheers over at the cards table echoed throughout the building, the curtain entrance was then promptly pushed aside, and one of its many drunk patrons came stumbling out into the nightly air.

"Well, I'm heading off. Have a *hic* great night, boys," the groggy, gruff voice of a middle-aged man wearing samurai robes- a striped hakama, black montsuki kimono and jacket, and wooden sandals- called out as he gave a wave to his newfound friends sitting at the bar. Upon receiving their drunken waves in return, the man with the topknot, five o'clock shadow and sword then started for home.

Wandering down the dirt road, following a not very straight line, the man stared sleepily ahead of him as he tried his best to find his way back to his lodging. After the amount of sake shots he'd had, it was a miracle he was in as sober a condition as he was.

After walking a couple of blocks down the quiet street, almost tripping over a rock and walking into a lamp post in the process, the man then turned down an alleyway and carried on boldly. Passing by a large dumpster and scarcely noticing a black cat meow at him before it bounded over the nearby fence, the dopey-eyed samurai continued his walk uninterrupted.

As he was starting to get a little more bearing back into his strides and gave a quiet yawn in the process, the middle-aged wanderer then caught sight of another person approaching him down the same wide alley. Narrowing his eyes towards the other end of the corridor, he was quickly able to make out a figure dressed in a red kimono with flower patterns walking towards him from the shadows. When the person stopped, he stopped as well, swaying momentarily while his tired eyes remained fixed on the figure standing halfway out of the dark.

It took him a few moments, but the samurai was soon able to identify the person as a woman, a fact that was quite clear by her slender build, sandals, and the pale skin along her smooth neck.

"Uh… good evening," the man greeted, taking a deep breath while steadying himself on the spot. "S-Sorry. Am I in your way? I'll… *hic*… I can m-move… you know…"

The person at first said nothing.

Instead, the woman moved out from the shadow of the building and into the moonlight. When the lunar rays hit them and illuminated her form, the samurai saw that the female standing in front of him had long black hair tied into a messy, high bun, with a pale white face, black eyeliner, and a red hand-fan held over the bottom half of her face- concealing her mouth and chin. She also had sharp orange eyes, which seemed to pierce through the night and focus squarely upon the man in front of her.

It was this combination of radiance and elegance that caused the samurai's breath to still for a moment, as he gazed groggily at the beauty blocking his path.

After a moment of staring at one another, the mysterious female with the messy hair, smudged eye shadow, and kimono hanging loosely from her shoulders, then tilted her head and spoke in a girly voice to the unsuspecting drunk.

"Am I… pretty?"

Blinking at the woman's odd and rather direct question, the tipsy samurai cracked a smile and shrugged. "Sure. I think you're… pretty hot." After having a bit of a laugh at his own joke, the dazed individual then did his best to strike a cool pose. "Do you *hic*wanna hang out with me tonight, babe?"

Snapping the fan shut, the woman then lowered it to reveal she was wearing some kind of surgical mask underneath. At first the man standing across from her found this a bit confusing. However, when he watched the woman reach up and unhook the mask from her face, allowing it to fall away, the groggy samurai was woken with a start. A look of horror crossed his mug at what he saw hidden underneath.

The raven haired beauty revealed two hideous scars stretching out from both corners of her mouth, leading all the way up her cheeks and to her ears. This 'Chesire Smile' carved into her face wasn't a clean wound either. It was mangled and wrecked, almost like it'd been cut with a serrated weapon, and still glowing red from infection. There were also signs of blood and openings in the flesh, giving her a very bloody, ghoulish appearance.

This sight sent a cold chill right up the samurai's spine and prompted him to take a frightful step back.

The woman, grinning murderously at the man, then spoke in a more aggressive tone of voice, which seemed to reverberate with two more, equally fierce voices overlapping one another. _**"Am I pretty now?!"**_

Overcome with terror as the woman's orange eyes lit up and burrowed into him like drills, the now wide-awake bar customer gave a fearful cry and turned to run. However, the instant he spun around to sprint down the alleyway, the man suddenly found himself confronted by the same scar-faced woman, now standing only three feet in front of him.

Jumping back in alarm at the sight of the smiling ghoul, the samurai quickly reached for his sword and drew it. With a brave scream and a flash of steel, he raised his sword and struck down at the female, only to have his descending blade caught between the middle and index fingers of the woman's left hand, which flew up to catch the weapon before it even had the chance to strike her.

Recoiling in shock, the swordsman then attempted to yank his katana from her digits. When his blade failed to budge, the female ghost suddenly held up her right arm and unsheathed it from her kimono's sleeve, revealing a pair of rusty long scissors held tightly in her grip. The moment her weapon flicked into view, she drove it down into the terrified samurai's chest, stabbing and slashing him mercilessly in a blur of movement.

A strangled cry of agony left the warrior's mouth as he was brutally hacked away by the woman in the kimono, blood splattering over the walls and floor, before the scissors carved across his face, cutting his cheek open. Upon which the murderous ghoul slammed the blades into his shoulder, grabbed both sides of his face and, opening her mouth wide to expose her elongated fangs, chomped down on his exposed neck. She then proceeded to rip his throat out, blood gushing all over her face and clothing, until the man buckled under his own weight. The woman collapsed on top of him.

Slurping and consuming the man's blood for a full minute, causing a pool of bodily fluids to form beneath them, the scar-faced woman then stood up and wiped her face clean. The result was her victim's blood smearing across her lips and cheeks in a horrific manner. Upon which she then leered murderously down the alleyway and into the night.

Chancing a careless glance at her prey, the female assailant flicked back her hair and giggled. "Soon… very soon… I'll have _you_ ," she hissed. Her eyes shimmering with excitement, the pale ghoul then stood up and backed away into the shadows. As she did, the murderess brought her right hand up and opened her fan to cover her face, moments before her body vanished into smoke.

Though no damage was done to the area or the neighborhood, what the vengeful spirit ended up leaving behind was a trail of blood, gore, and the body of the samurai who'd unwittingly crossed her path.

It wouldn't be until morning when a nearby resident discovered his bloody, gashed up corpse.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, quick question to all those who know their lore. Anyone want to venture a guess as to who the next villain is in this arc?


	15. Demon Hunt Arc- The Beast of Isahaya

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _The Beast of Isahaya_

(A week later)

In the days following their final test conducted by Kakashi Hatake, the members of the newly formed Team 7 got their first real taste of what being an active shinobi of _Konohagakure_ was like. Unfortunately for Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, the epic adventures, death-defying battles, and intrepid explorations that they were promised from all the tales they'd been told, weren't as glamorous as they were expecting.

In fact, the first wave of missions that Kakashi ended up picking for them from the list provided by the Hokage were, in all honesty, kind of dull.

On their very first day out after their assessment, their teacher had selected three very easy and laidback D-Rank missions that even the most inexperienced Genin squads could complete; a sort of warmup exercise that would lead into more difficult and active jobs later on in their tenure. At least that's what Naruto and his teammates were told.

But for their baptism by fire, the members of Squad 7 were subjected to two hours of messy, spirit-hazing manual labor in the form of fence mending, in which the entire group spent most of their morning helping to set up a picket fence around a single estate, while Kakashi leaned against a nearby wall supervising from behind the pages of his orange novel.

In all honesty, it wasn't that tough of an assignment. However, since the three of them had to prop and nail together over a hundred planks of wood, it did prove to be a rather exhausting exercise. The trio took it in turns on who got to hold the fence while the others hammered them into place, making sure that they were properly fitted into the ground before moving down the line.

Though it wasn't as glamorous an assignment as they were expecting, it was still a great team-building exercise and an interesting learning experience. In the end, the worst injuries they sustained from this venture was a splinter- and Naruto rather hilariously nailing his thumb with the hammer. That at least got a few round of laughs from Sakura, Sasuke, and surprisingly Kakashi.

The second job for the day had the trio running errands for an elderly couple in the village's farming district. Having burned through their entire supply of fire logs for the month and unable to carry the workload by themselves, the seniors had requested a Genin team be sent down from the tower to help out with their surplus of chores. Team 7, being the lucky ones to have received this scroll from the office, were led over to the house by their teacher to cut wood, pull weeds, and wash windows for a solid hour and a half. Each squad member was assigned one task and allocated the necessary amount of time to finish each station.

Sakura was given the honor of chopping wood, Sasuke was instructed to pull the weeds out of the garden, and Naruto was given window-washing duty. Though the three kids tried to find some sort of deeper meaning behind the jobs that they were given by their instructor and whether or not there was some kind of personal benefits to be gained from them, the truth is there were none. Kakashi just assigned them the jobs at random, because he couldn't be bothered thinking about the particulars.

Needless to say, it was a bit of a mixed bag on this assignment, and by the time the session was over, the three kids left the farm for lunch feeling both exhausted and used up.

There was something about meticulous, hard labor that made even the fittest shinobi feel more than a little wrung out. It just required a lot of moving around and a lot of weight carrying, which was something the members of Team 7 quickly picked up. So when the third and final job for the day finally came around in the form of moving crates from a recently arrived supply convoy from another town, you could say that the group was pretty much over work.

And hell, it was only their first day in.

After collecting their paychecks up in the tower and making sure everyone was settled up, Kakashi then dismissed his squad and allowed them to head on home, at the same time instructing his students to reflect on their assignments for the day. This left Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura with an entire afternoon free and, with nothing else better to do, the three of them decided to burn up the rest of the hours with some high-quality training.

While Sasuke went home to practice on his family's estate, Sakura followed Naruto out to his favorite grove where, just like he'd promised on the night of their graduation, the boy carried out his private tutoring sessions with her via his special brand of training…

OOO

(Bamboo Forest)

A loud thump followed by a yelp echoed through the woods as Sakura was sent skidding back across the grassy floor and kicking dust into the air. Throwing her bodyweight forward, the girl with long pink hair thrust a hand into the ground and applied the brakes, stopping her body from hitting the trunk of a tree. As soon as she'd stopped moving, her head snapped up, revealing a bleeding lip and some swelling above her eye.

When she did, she saw Naruto standing several feet away from her in a fighting stance- feet spread wide while his right fist hovered at his face and his left was extended in front of him.

The moment he saw his opponent's eyes focus back on him, the blond youngster in the scarf and jacket cracked a smile. "Remember to keep your guard up, Sakura-chan… especially if you're coming at me with low shots. And try not to get stuck in a pattern, otherwise you're going to get hit."

Despite obviously having been at this for quite some time, the boy didn't have a single bruise or scrape on him. He wasn't even tired. Whereas on the other end, Sakura was panting heavily, and was showing the signs of receiving a few hits to the body and face.

Of course the kunoichi knew that Naruto wasn't coming at her with his full power, but he was still hitting her hard enough to make her work for her training and to keep her alert. The main purpose for this part of their sessions together was to teach her proper fighting techniques and reaction instincts, so if the blond was to hold back too much he would be depriving her of a worthwhile learning experience.

Coming hard sparring with technique training was usually the best way a person learned, as they were using the skills that they were being taught during combat, even if it was simulated.

Seeing Sakura tremble as she held her positioned, the whiskered-blond nodded. "Your timing with your attacks is improving. Just don't overthink things. Let yourself go. Be fluid with your movements."

Reaching up and wiping the blood from her chin, Sakura then gave a huff. "Right!" she then crouched down and took off, zigzagging as she approached her opponent before jumping at him with a spinning kick.

Telegraphing her movements effortlessly, Naruto casually dodged her flying attack, along with the spinning back kick and the punch that followed. When she eventually dropped out of the air, the boy countered her with a left hook, which she blocked and immediately retaliated with another kick to his head. A loud thump rang out when the blond parried the high blow with his arm, after which he then countered with a right palm strike towards his friend's face. This prompted Sakura to lean back and deflect his blow, before coming in with yet another series of attacks.

And so the pair continued to trade blows in the small clearing beside the bamboo forest, causing dull thumps and thuds to reverberate throughout the area. While Naruto casually worked on polishing his defenses and timing, Sakura focused on using the techniques and skills that Naruto had taught her over the past three weeks. For the kunoichi it was quite tough switching up from the basic katas she'd been learning throughout her tenure at the academy, as they were movements she had engrained into her body's memory. But through great determination, focus, and effort, the pinkette was slowly getting the hang of her new fighting style.

As the pair continued to duke it out, they were closely watched by the diminutive and unimposing white form of Tama, who was currently sitting beneath her favorite cherry blossom tree nearby. Tail wagging behind her and her paws folded comfortably under her chest, the little kitsune kept her yellow eyes trained on the duo, analyzing their progress while a warm smile stretched across her lips.

OOO

That was pretty much how the days over the next three weeks for the group unfolded. Every morning the trio would get up, perform their respective rituals, and then head out to do missions with their lazy and seemingly unmotivated team captain. After completing about two to three D-Rank jobs, depending on how long the missions ran for, the group would then move on to training, and scrub up their corresponding skills and abilities.

While a majority of the time Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura did train on their own, a couple of times a week after missions Kakashi would take his squad of talented students back over to Training Field 3, where he would spend the next couple hours of the afternoon running and coaching his squad. As a team, he taught them the basic formations for combat- including methods of attack and defense- tutored them on the usage of codes and visual signals, and also gave them some useful tips regarding taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Being a Jonin, he possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding the practices of a shinobi and was very thorough in the lessons he was able to cover. The kids actually learned a great deal under his wing, not just about their squad, but also ways on to strengthen and improve their training techniques. However, there was only so much one man could teach, and since all three Genin were such unique individuals with their own strengths, personalities and interests, Kakashi could only guide them towards the paths they needed to take.

Walking down these paths was another matter altogether, as the act of improving oneself was something only the individual could achieve.

Aside from that, the Jonin was also able to lend them tips on fixing their weaknesses, which were aspects that varied differently between each Genin.

While Naruto was superb at close quarter combat, which more than made up for his lack of ninjutsu, and his physical strength and speed were on an entirely different level to his peers, the youngster didn't possess any ranged techniques whatsoever, and struggled to cope with dispelling certain types of genjutsu. Although he did manage to get some training from his roommate Tayuya on how to break out of basic illusions, it was a skill he still needed a lot of work on. There was also the matter of his problem-solving skills, but that was an area he could fix in his own time.

Sakura on the other hand was a bit more of an open book. Though she was indeed much smarter than both Naruto and Sasuke, possessed a firm understanding of shinobi theory, and was great at setting traps, her confidence, fighting senses, and all physical related aspects of her training were in serious need of improvement. Even though she was one of the top five kunoichi to graduate from the academy, her fighting skills were still around average, and against power houses like her two male teammates, she didn't stand a chance. Since all her needs resided in the areas of practice, Kakashi knew he had to come up with more ways to improve her stamina, strength and speed to a more capable level.

Sasuke's weaknesses however were less straightforward. The Uchiha prodigy had the advantage of achieving high scores across the broader range of all aspects of shinobi conduct- including taijutsu, ninjutsu, shurikenjutsu, strategy, intelligence, and genjutsu. He was strong in every single area essential for being a true ninja, proving that he most certainly deserved his position as the year's top graduate. However, despite the fact that the youngster shone strongly in curriculum results, his stamina, chakra capacity, and physical endurance was still somewhat lacking. He also didn't involve himself as much with the group in terms of communication and action- unlike Naruto and Sakura who were both excellent team players. But this was a weakness that could easily be remedied through various team-building exercises, which Kakashi was more than happy to play out.

Out of the three of them, the Jonin felt he could work with Sasuke a lot more effectively than he could with the other two, due to the fact the boy was a fast-learner and had the Sharingan in his arsenal. But that didn't mean Kakashi was going to skimp out on training the other two.

Though he didn't show it, the man was determined to make an effective squad out of his three subordinates. They'd already showed him the quality of their teamwork and the extent that they were willing to go to accomplish their goals. That was all the proof Kakashi needed to know that he was training three kids who were destined for greatness in their futures, and as their instructor he was going to make sure they followed the right paths.

But greatness was still a long way away. Even though they may have already accomplished some feats in their academy years, making a name for themselves out there in the real world was going to be a long and harrowing process.

So for the three weeks that had already come and gone, the team stuck to their routine- mission in, mission out, and train. At first the adolescent members of the squad were able to tolerate the mediocre slog of a boring work life, grinding through one D-Rank assignment after another. But soon the lack of adventure and hazing started to get to them in more ways than one, and on the Monday morning at the start of their fourth week, they decided to let their teacher know exactly how they felt…

OOO

Gathered at the end of the red bridge that crossed over one of the village's many canals outside of the border suburban areas, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, all garbed up in their shinobi clothing, were waiting patiently for their sensei to collect them. As expected, after about an hour of waiting, the Jonin had yet to show up, which really annoyed the members of Team 7 as for the past three weeks the group had been coming here an hour after their designated meeting times.

Every once in a while the trio would show up a few minutes later, hoping that their teacher would be early for once. But unfortunately that was nothing but wishful thinking on their part.

With Tama lying across the shoulder of his white jacket and his fur lined hood pulled over his head, an incredibly agitated Naruto groaned and tipped his head back, his body leaning further against the bridge's railing. "Damn it. What the hell is taking Kakashi-sensei so long this time?"

"Beats me. Could be anything," Sasuke grunted in response from the other side of the bridge, leaning against the post with his arms crossed and a very unimpressed look in play. Just like Naruto, the young man had also gone for a few modifications to his uniform- a black, high-collar shirt, black shorts, and a white obi wrapped around his waist, which had his forehead protector sewn into the side. "It's always something different every day."

First it was helping an old lady cross the street. Then it was helping a colleague move from one flat to another. And then there was something about black cats getting run over on the road or something along those lines.

Breathing a heavy sigh of her own, Sakura, who was sitting on top of the railing right next to Naruto, gave the two boys a shrug. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei is actually running late for a change. Since he's a high-ranking shinobi in the village with a lot more responsibilities than others, he might just be stuck doing work up at the tower…"

"Yeah. Maybe. _Or_ … maybe he's doing this on purpose just to spite us," Naruto grumbled, drumming a finger against the woodwork as he then dropped his head forward again in a dejected manner. "As if the D-Rank missions weren't bad enough, we also have to worry about getting to our jobs on time and _not_ getting yelled at by our clients because our teacher was too lazy to get out of bed." His statement to that fact drew a nod from the pinkette.

"You have to admit though, if you were in his shoes and you had a group of kids to train and mess with, you'd be doing the exact same thing," Sasuke remarked, looking across at the impatient blond with an unflinching gaze.

Opening his mouth to say something in response, Naruto then shut it seconds later after quickly processing the boy's statement. "True."

Sakura giggled as she swung her legs back and forth from her spot on the bridge's railing. "I can totally see that happening." She then drew a banner through the air with her hands. " _Naruto_ … the cool, delinquent teacher who torments his students during the day and gets them to work on their street cred at night."

The thought had Naruto smile a little. "That doesn't sound bad at all."

For the next several minutes the trio stood or sat in their places, waiting with varying levels of ire for their slacker of a teacher to show up. Just as Naruto was about to start skipping rocks off of the bridge, the squad was soon graced with the presence of their masked instructor. Strolling into view from just down the road, the man in the mask greeted his little warriors with a cheerful smile, while they responded with their typical scorn and displeasure.

Kakashi raised his hand and waved, "Good morning, everyone. How are-"

"AHH! Don't even think about it, sensei!" Sakura shouted, hopping off of the railing and pointing straight at her teacher. "We know _exactly_ what you're going to say!"

"You're going to start off with a pleasant 'good morning' to all of us, while we chew you out for being late for, like, the hundredth time in a row. After that you're going to come up with some half-baked, unbelievable story about how you got stuck inside a revolving door at the supermarket or had to go buy some soup for a friend who is too sick to move," Naruto continued without missing a beat, with an expression that mirrored Sakura's perfectly.

"And then you're going to take us straight out on some meager, brick-laying, package-delivery assignment and expect us to act like this whole conversation never even took place," Sasuke chimed in at the end- hands on his hips and a bored look on his face.

Staring at his students for a moment with a slightly taken aback expression, Kakashi then placed his hands on his hips and smiled coyly through his mask. "Actually… a friend of mine _**is**_ feeling a little under the weather today." He then pointed over his shoulder. "My fellow comrade Might Gai is suffering from a bad case of gout in his right leg. And since he can't move from his bed, I had to stop by the shops to grab him some breakfast and lunch."

Immediately the Jonin's three talented students couldn't help but give him three similarly skeptical expressions, punctuated by a very uncomfortable silence that drew a nervous bead of sweat from Kakashi's brow.

Clearing his throat, the silver-haired shinobi decided to push the topic along. "Anyway, since all of you are here, I believe now is as good a time as any to tell you guys about our next mission."

"Did you already pick one out for us, sensei?" Sakura asked with a curious inflection in her tone.

A smile broke out underneath Kakashi's mask, "You got it." Reaching back into his pouch, the man then pulled out a scroll with the Hokage's seal stamped on its surface. "The next job we have is a big one. Just this morning, the higher-ups in the administration office received a letter from the mountain village of Isahaya, requesting a team of shinobi to be dispatched to the community as soon as possible."

Knowing that Kakashi was deliberately withholding important details and building up suspense for the mission for them on purpose, Naruto and Sakura instinctively slumped forward in dreaded anticipation. Due to the fact that they'd been performing dozens of odd jobs better suited for a team of journeymen-slash-merchants around the village for the past few days, the pair immediately assumed that their next assignment was going to have something to do with tedious manual labor.

Sasuke mirrored the pair's expressions and feelings regarding the matter and, as a follow-up, gave their Jonin instructor a well-deserved glare. "What kind of work is it?"

Kakashi's tone didn't falter one bit when he lowered the scroll he was holding. In fact, the mood he spoke with next only seemed to become more serious. "The mission I've selected for you guys is of the utmost importance. Our client- Mio Hirasawa- mother of two and wife of a local tradesman- has asked for an experienced and well-trained team of Genin to come to her home town in order to _track down_ and _locate_ her son and daughter." This news immediately had the heads of Team 7 perk up in surprise.

"Track down? Did they go missing?" Sakura asked.

The Jonin's face steeled when he turned to the young kunoichi. "Over the last couple of weeks, the mother had noticed her kids started wandering in and out of the woods just outside their house. Every afternoon at the end of school, the brother and sister would come home and disappear into the forest for a couple of hours, before returning home later for dinner," Kakashi informed, his eyes glancing between his students as they moved in closer to listen. "When she asked them what they were up to, the children told her that they'd made a secret hideout in the woods to play with their 'special friend' and that only members of their 'secret shinobi club' were allowed to join them."

Naruto scrunched his face up as he attempted to work out where Kakashi was going with this and what their mission was supposed to be. Looking at the details so far, it seemed like a bit farfetched. "So… is this some kind of… 'missing person's' situation… or what?" If it was, then this job certainly wouldn't be classified as a D-Rank mission. Not even close.

That meant that there had to be some kind of catch to whatever Kakashi was setting up for them, which was why the members of Team 7 decided to wait for their instructor to finish before making any further assumptions.

"Better," Kakashi chirped, his tone suddenly shifting from informative to happy in the blink of an eye. "The mother's son has a birthday coming up in the next couple of days and, seeing as how her kids love playing ninja with each other, she thought that it would be nice to hire a team of real shinobi to come to her house and surprise her children." The man then lifted a finger and gestured to his wards. "To put it simply, she wants you three to play the part of super-elite ninjas, who sneak into her children's secret hideout on an important mission to give her son his present." The man then placed a hand on his hip and paused. "So… what do you guys think? Will you accept the contract?"

Upon hearing this part, the trio of Genin's reactions were all around pleasant. While Naruto and Sakura shared a smile with one another, Sasuke simply crossed his arms and kept the smile to himself, which he hid by turning away from his companions.

"A birthday surprise, huh?" the Uchiha chuckled. "This is new."

"Well… at least it's better than helping some old gardener trim the hedges around the local park," Naruto commented, earning a happy bark from Tama on his shoulder.

"Cha! And we'll get to go on a trip outside of Konoha too!" Sakura cheered while clenching her fists in front of her chest excitedly. "I haven't been to any of the other villages around the Land of Fire before! This is going to be awesome!" Her delight was made even more obvious from the sparkle in her eyes and the enthusiastic bounce she did at the end of her exclamation.

Glad to see his squad brighten up, Kakashi then pivoted to the side. "Then it's settled. The four of us will head out together to the town of Isahaya first thing tomorrow morning. That means you guys have the rest of the day to relax and prepare." He then nodded to his crew as they all turned to face him. "I'll meet all of you by the West Gate at 5:00AM on the dot. We'll set out as soon as we're all assembled. Clear?" When he saw the trio nod, the man responded in kind. "Good." He then vanished in a puff of white smoke, leaving the kids standing alone on the bridge.

Quietly looking at one another, the members of Team 7 shared a round of shrugs and smiles. After which they then headed off.

The moment they stepped off the bridge, Naruto pulled back his hood and spoke with an enthusiastic lift in his voice. "Guess we're all going on a road trip together. Boy, this is definitely a first."

"And hopefully not the last," Sasuke said, at the same time staying ahead of their group as they strolled back into town. "Running all these odd jobs around the village is starting to become quite tiresome."

"You can say that again," Sakura chimed in with a grin. "Though this is a D-Rank mission, at least we're going to someplace new." She then turned her gaze upwards in thought. "Isahaya? I wonder what that town is like."

"Probably something worth looking up before we head out tomorrow," Naruto said, at the same time grinning across at his pink-haired teammate. "We could go to the library. See what's what. Maybe I can look into buying some local maps while I'm at it."

"Sounds like a plan," Sakura replied cheerfully, doing a little skip as the three of them continued on down the road.

Obviously the three kids were looking forward to their little outing. As much as they enjoyed running around their home town and interacting with the locals, they'd seldom had any time to venture out into the real world. Though a couple of them had a bit more experience dealing with the wider landscape than most of the other kids in the village, neither of them had really given much thought to what some of their country's outer regions were like.

The mysteries and surprises that their next venture held for them weighed heavily on their minds, all the way through the afternoon and right up to the point they turned in for the night.

XXX

(The next morning)

For Naruto, his morning routine started out ordinary. After waking himself up, leaving a very groggy Tayuya hugging the sheets of her futon, the whiskered-Genin gathered up his gear, planted Tama on his shoulder and Aijo around his neck, and then set off for the West Gate.

Upon assembling at their designated meeting point at sunrise and making sure that they had all their gear with them, the three plucky members of Team 7 then received a pleasant surprise when they saw their teacher arrive a few minutes later. Looking exactly like he did every other day, with no signs of noticeable bed hair or grogginess to speak of, the Jonin quickly did a head count of his group, before promptly setting them off down the road.

The journey towards the town of Isahaya was going to be a long one, so as the squad followed the highway in a tidy formation, the young members of the group spent their time admiring the scenery, talking with one another about stuff at home, and discussing a few theories while they had a couple more brains to bounce ideas off. Kakashi also had them go over some training material as a group, getting them to think about stuff like teamwork, code words, battle arrangements, numbers, and the various cultures dominating the continent.

This was helpful for them for multiple reasons, because not only was he setting them up for future missions as a group, but also assignments they could undertake if they were either alone or leading a team of their own.

The guidance from their teacher proved to be a surprising time killer for the group, as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura enjoyed listening to the stories and lessons the man had to give. As boring and ordinary as the man looked, still waters apparently ran very deep in his family. Of course the group eventually came upon their first stop on their journey and, after setting up camp around a fire, turned in for the night.

The morning that followed proved to be no different from the last in terms of routine, though each member of the squad was able to catch a glimpse of one another's unique methods. While Naruto was found meditating by the fire with his white fox companion watching him carefully from a seated position, Sakura- rocking some awesome post-pillow hair- sleepily found a private spot in the bushes to brush her teeth and comb out her knots. Sasuke meanwhile just rubbed his eyes of the sandman's excrement and went off to find a makeshift bathroom, while Kakashi just stood by their clearing and supervised.

After making themselves breakfast and having it around the dying embers of their fire, Team 7 then made the final half their journey up into the mountains.

To them, Isahaya was one of the most far removed and little known places in the Land of Fire that they could think of. Having only been able to find out a tiny bit about the history of the township- how it was established by merchants on the mountain trail as a checkpoint for travelers and people looking to make business on either side of the perilous passes- the place seemed like your average, run of the mill, quiet country communities. This being the only information of value to them, the group couldn't help but express a great deal of curiosity over what awaited them up ahead.

Sure enough, by the stroke of one, the group eventually happened upon the small village. Situated in the middle of a dense forest along the main highway, with mountains lining the Western horizon, the entire village was made up of very traditional buildings and structures. The positioning of the town itself also presented the opportunity for a lot of sight-seeing, with various hiking and merchant tracks leading out of town to multiple miscellaneous spots across the area.

The only elements of modernization happened to be on the buildings themselves, with neon lighting and interior designs better seen during the night hours.

When Kakashi and his crew rolled into town with their backpacks on, the group received a very ordinary and conventional greeting. The villagers they saw walking up and down the main road through the town gave the new arrivals a courteous smile or wave, with the occasional merchant slogging up the road with a backpack overflowing with goods and gear. Almost immediately the group of kids were hit by the strong sense of wonder to the new locale, as for two of them this was the first time they'd set foot in a different village.

Naruto, though already accustomed to the sensation of encroaching upon foreign territory, also nodded his head in approval at what he saw.

"Nice place," the blond commented, while Tama sat astride his shoulder with a happy wag in her tail. "I can already tell this is going to be a fun mission."

"Yeah. Hey! Check out the bridge!" Sakura exclaimed, while pointing towards the large, wooden structure they were approaching. Though ordinary from the villager's perspective, the structure was a two-way, red-painted wooden arc with white barriers, punctuated by eight tori archways and decorated by a line of lanterns. The river that cut below it and through the town was wide and deep, which in turn meant that the walkway passing over it had to be as equally impressive and aesthetically befitting. "Wow. I bet you anything that the entire town turns out to this spot whenever a festival comes along. We have to get some pictures on it before we go."

"Oh yeah. Definitely," Naruto exclaimed in agreement. "This is our first mission out as a group, so we definitely need a few snapshots of it."

While Sasuke silently looked around at the shops and people they passed, Kakashi gave a smile down at his team when he saw how excited two of them were. "The house we're supposed to be meeting our client is on the other side of the river at the edge of town. We should be arriving there shortly." When he saw the group look at him, the Jonin's expression became slightly more serious. "Now remember- _manners_ and _attentiveness_. These two qualities are the most important to have whenever a shinobi is taking a job in another settlement or country. Whether your client is an ordinary villager, a bodyguard, a manager, or a business owner, you have to show due diligence in your behaviour and approach if you want to make a good impression on them. This in turn has the potential to mean repeat business for our village's shinobi. Understand?"

The three kids nodded at once, _**"Yes, sensei."**_ Even Tama gave an affirmative yip after the trio did.

Assured that his students were informed, Kakashi then took the lead as they crossed over the river. Though Naruto and Sakura couldn't help themselves but run over to the side of the walkway to check out the river, the team stayed on track as they hit the bank on the other side and continued through the town. The squad soon found themselves passing by a couple of restaurants and clubs, and after consulting the map provided in their mission scroll, the group knew they were nearly there.

However, just before they could exit the entertainment boulevard, the squad suddenly stopped when they noticed a commotion going on over by one of the roadside bars. Taking note of the large crowd of a dozen villagers filling the street and chattering away, the group of shinobi also spotted a couple of law enforcement officers among them- men dressed in blue robes, straw hats, and armed with katanas. They in turn were standing guard over a thirty year old male, wearing a kimono-style suit.

Dressed in red, the man with brown hair with white circular clan symbols on his clothes- apparently the symbol their village- held up his hands and waved at the chattering and clearly distressed crowd. "Calm down! Calm down, everyone! Please!"

"This is the third time this month this has happened!" a man from the crowd shouted. "Another man has been murdered in the street!"

"Why haven't you or the police done anything about it yet?!" a woman spoke up, her voice breaking from distress and panic.

"Is the village even safe anymore?! Are our children safe?!"

"Why haven't you caught the beast yet?!"

"Please, people! Please! I assure you, the police and I are doing everything in our power to track this fiend down and bring it to justice!" the village leader spoke, looking across the crowd of distressed faces. With the way his expression was twisted, it was obvious he too was feeling incredibly stressed at the situation. "We have our best men looking into this case as we speak! So until this bloodthirsty murderer is caught, I advise everyone in the village to return to their homes and lock their doors before nightfall. I will have the police scouting the area and keeping an extra eye out for the assassin! I've also sent-"

"Is there some kind of problem over here?" a new voice suddenly spoke up, causing the crowd of villagers to turn around. It was there they saw Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura standing quietly behind them, having obviously been drawn to the noise and clamor of obviously distressed people.

The moment the crowd's eyes landed on the group and saw the headbands they were wearing, the concerned village leader standing beside the law enforcement officers breathed a heavy sigh of relief and hurriedly made his way towards the new arrivals. "Oh, thank goodness. You've _finally_ arrived. It's been well over a week. I… I was beginning to worry our message hadn't gotten through."

The previously expressionless Kakashi blinked, "Hm? What message?"

The man in the red suit stopped in his tracks. "Huh? You mean… you're _not_ the team of shinobi we sent the emergency request to _Takigakure_ for?" When he saw the group of kids look at each other and then up at their teacher, obviously confused, the mayor gave a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn. That means my letter hasn't been processed yet. Stupid messengers-"

"Shinobi! _Konoha_ shinobi!" one of the men from the crowd shouted while pointing at the captain of Team 7. "They can help us!"

"Yes! The ninja from the hidden leaf are the best around!" another man spoke up, causing the crowd of previously anxious villagers to begin chattering excitedly. "They'll definitely be able to catch the creature!"

"Please, kind sir! Help us!"

"Our village is in trouble!"

"Hire them, Shihei! Hire them right now!"

"Whoa, whoa! Whoa! Easy!" Kakashi exclaimed, holding up his hands when he saw the desperate people start approaching them. When he saw them stop behind their village leader, the silver haired man lowered his arms. "First tell me what this is all about. Did you say you're having some kind of problem with a beast?"

Upon hearing the crowd settle behind him, the man now identified as Shihei took a deep, steady breath to calm himself. After which he then turned to the silver-haired Jonin and spoke. "There hasn't been a major incident in this village for as long as any of us can remember. For the past three decades, the people of our town have been living happily and healthily alongside one another. Trade was good, the weather has been manageable, and merchants and travelers from all around have been coming through nonstop. The worst thing anybody in _Isahaya_ had to worry about were the mosquitoes that came out once a year, and even then all we got were just a few bug bites." It was then after saying all of this the man's expression soured. "But about two months back, a body turned up in an alleyway just a few blocks over from this one. At first we thought it was an accident and that the poor man had run afoul of some wild animal. A wolf or something along those lines."

"But then… about two weeks later, another body turned up… and then another," a man from the crowd behind Shihei spoke, drawing Kakashi's attention over to them. "It was only after the fourth victim was found behind a store house that we realized someone or some _ **thing**_ was attacking the people around Isahaya."

"Something?" Kakashi murmured, with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura looking around at one another curiously. "Do you think it's some kind of animal?"

Shihei's expression turned incredibly grave as he shrugged, "Honestly, we have no idea _what_ it is. No one has caught a good look at it yet. Our only sure witnesses are the numerous bodies that've turned up… each one massacred in a brutal and horrid manner." The man then reached behind him and pulled out a couple rolled up sheets of paper, before promptly handing them over to Kakashi. "Here. These are sketches drafted from descriptions given by villagers who claim they glimpsed the beast. Despite their noticeable differences, each drawing bears a similar resemblance to one another. But in my opinion, I think these "witnesses" are lying... and blowing the whole thing out of proportion."

Curious, Kakashi took the papers and opened them up, with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura craning their heads over to see what the pictures were. All four of them were then presented with the rather unnerving image of two very distinct sketches of a black, humanoid-like creature drawn out across the parchments. While both illustrations were tall, slender, and bore fangs as long as daggers protruding from their faces, the main differences between the two figures was that the creature on the left had a dozen tendrils extending from its body like trails of smoke, and the other on the right was surrounded by a thick black haze- with large bat-like wings sticking out of its shoulders.

It was almost like they were staring at a creature from a child's worst nightmare.

"The villagers who came forward with these pictures were people who were out at the time the attacks took place… and were the first ones to stumble upon the bodies," Shihei informed with a grim look. "Because it was late at night and these people had been out drinking with their friends, it is incredibly difficult to verify whether or not what they saw was actually true."

After getting a good look at the sketches, Kakashi then glanced up at the distressed village leader. "How many victims so far?"

" _Eight_ … including the one we found in the alleyway behind us," Shihei informed while gesturing over his shoulder with a nod. "After the third victim turned up, I requested for additional law enforcement officers from the nearby town to be sent over and had my men begin scouring the areas for clues. When the fourth murder happened, I immediately sent an A-Rank request through to _Takigakure_ , and asked them to send their best Jonin to take care of this. But, as you can probably guess, no one has answered."

"An ill wind blows for us," an old lady in the crowd spoke, drawing Team Seven's attention to her. "The beast cannot be tracked and folk are beginning to say it wields black magic. This creature, whatever it is… it is not of this world."

"Black magic?" Sasuke murmured, having never heard this term used before in the context involving a mission.

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked, finding the information all the more disconcerting. Somehow, after only just setting foot in this lovely and seemingly peaceful town, their once cheerful and carefree D-Rank birthday mission was suddenly transforming into a scene from a horror movie. It was starting to make them all a little nervous.

On that question, Shihei quickly verified the girl's inquiry. "All the victims were found in isolated places, behind or between buildings- brutally stabbed, cut up, and with their throats ripped open. After analyzing the scenes carefully, my men discovered that every single one of these killings took place near an area where a lot of people were present, but not a single sound or scream was heard. Also, on the nights each of these murders took place, a fog had appeared over the village. The thing is, we _never_ get mists around this time of year- even from the mountains." The man then looked down at the pictures Kakashi was holding, who slowly handed one over to Naruto so that the boy could have a closer look. "We're not afraid of creatures that knives and swords can cut. But nothing is known of this beast, save that it cannot be traced, that it kills effortlessly, and with no rhyme or reason we can discern."

Analyzing the pictures carefully, Naruto then looked up at the village leader. "Has anyone tried trapping it?"

Shihei sighed, "Many have tried- baiting, waiting in ambush, but to no avail."

"The beast is clever," one of the law enforcers in the back spoke up, at the same time approaching the group of shinobi with his hand resting on the handle of his sword. "It evades all traps and attacks all of a sudden. It's like a ghost. The sixth and seventh victims were found just a few yards away from where a patrol was roaming, and the most recent killing happened behind a club, which was full of patrons at the time."

"Hmm…" Kakashi murmured as he then looked up and down the street. After analyzing the buildings around him, the shinobi quickly made a rather obvious discovery. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but were all of these victims last seen inside of public places before they were found murdered?"

"Actually, yes," Shihei informed with a frown. "That was the first conclusion we reached after inquiring about the fourth victim. All of the men found dead were last seen exiting a bar or restaurant in this part of town-"

"Before winding up dead a few minutes later after wandering off the main strip," Kakashi finished, before lowering the paper he was holding and turning back to the mayor. "And these people, what were their professions?"

"Four of them were travelling samurai- including the last three victims- two were merchants, and the others were a farm hand and a stall owner. Neither of them knew one another, bore any distinguishing marks or features, and they all came from different places," Shihei replied while placing his hands on his hips. "Other than the fact they were all males, there is nothing else we can ascertain from the evidence. So… will you be able to help us?"

Once again evaluating the information given to him, as well as the picture in his hand, the silver haired Jonin then turned his attention to his young charges. After looking between the three Genin carefully, the man promptly made a decision based on the information he'd been given. Once he had, he politely asked for Naruto to hand him back the paper, before informing the crowd of his ruling.

"Though the four of us came here on an entirely different mission, considering the gravity of the case being presented to us, the number of individuals involved, and the fact that there aren't any other shinobi in the immediate area qualified to take this job, I think it would be best that I step in to resolve the problem," Kakashi said, while reaching into his pouch and pulling out their team's original scroll. "You three should be able to complete the mission on your own. As leader and captain of the team, I am assigning Sakura to the role of temporary second in command for the remainder of this job." He then handed the D-Rank mission scroll to the pink haired girl, who accepted it hesitantly. "Can I trust you three to be able to follow through with this?"

"I guess." After looking around at her colleagues to see Naruto and Sasuke giving her similar looks of intent, the apprehensive Sakura turned back to their teacher. "W-What if we need your help, sensei?"

"I'd honestly be surprised if you did," Kakashi continued with a notable smile under his mask. "You three have already undertaken so many D-Rank missions back home. After seeing how well you guys completed them, I know you'll be able to perform this one without any difficulties. Just remember everything I taught you and you'll be fine." The man then nodded to them down the road. "Now go on. Your client is waiting. Mio Hirasawa's house is building number three, just off the main highway outside of town."

With their advice and instructions given, the three kids then slowly made haste for their destination. Upon seeing them disappear up the main road and assured that they were going the right direction, Kakashi then turned to Shihei and adjusted his backpack

"I'll take the job… provided you and the village are willing to organize pay for a direct A-Rank contract," the Jonin stated.

"Yes. Yes, we are. Thank you," Shihei replied with a bow, at the same time the villagers behind him clamored excitedly. "I'll see to it right away. Just tell us what you need."

Kakashi's eye narrowed seriously. "I'd like to take a look at the bodies of the last two victims… and the areas where they were found…"

OOO

The quick trek across the rest of the village to their client's house on the outskirts of the community didn't take long at all. Even though this was a far more open part of the settlement, where the buildings and boulevards opened up to spots of farmland and forest, the place they had to go to was a lot closer to home than they thought. However it was still far enough away for the people living in the vicinity to not have to worry about the troubles of noisy neighbors or travelers enjoying noisy nights out at the clubs.

Convenient as far as quiet living was concerned.

With Sakura in the lead, the group soon happened upon a small little cottage surrounded by a lush garden area and a low wall, with the flora and vegetation growing on the property being far more vibrant and colorful than the nearby residences. After making sure they were at the right house and that all of them looked presentable, they knocked on the door, and were soon greeted by a thirty year old woman with long brown hair tied into a braided ponytail, wearing a kimono-style blouse and dress consisting of yellow and green floral colors.

The sight of the woman appearing in the archway before them had the temporary leader of the group stiffen. "Mio… Hirasawa?" Sakura inquired hesitantly.

"Yes. That's me." A pleasant smile graced the mother's lips when she opened the door and found herself looking down at three children wearing three matching forehead protectors. "Ah. You must be the team of shinobi I sent a request out for."

Realizing they were being addressed, Sakura promptly straightened up and cleared her throat. "Yes. That's us. I-It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."

"The pleasure is all mine. Please, come in," the mother chirped, at the same time making way for the three children to enter her domicile. Being sure to scrape off their sandals on the welcome mat, the members of Team 7 made their way into the building in a single file. "I see I was right in hiring a team from _Konohagakure_ to come down here. You guys arrived much sooner than I was expecting. I hope the journey wasn't too rough."

"No. The walk was quite pleasant," Naruto spoke up, at the same time feeling Tama reposition herself across his shoulders as he examined the homestead he'd just entered. The well-kept floors and walls did not go amiss by his keen eyes, which also spotted the telltale signs of multiple framed photos on the walls of a happy family. "No bandits or ruffians to speak of."

"That's good," Mio chirped as she closed the door behind them.

"We heard there's been some kind of ruckus going on back in the village," Sasuke said while watching the young mother follow after them. "Something about a… _beast_ prowling the streets and attacking people."

"Ah. Yes. _That_ ," the woman murmured uneasily as she tailed the group into the living room- where a low-sitting table on tatami mats and shogi doors lining the exit to the back porch lay waiting for them. "I try to stay out of those kinds of affairs… especially ones involving reckless merchants, rowdy drunks, and party goers. We have other things to worry about out here by the woods."

Scattering around the main living and dining area, a curious Sakura turned to their client. "You mean… you're not worried that the beast might come after you… and your family?"

"From what I heard this 'creature'- or whatever it is- has only been attacking people in and around the areas of the entertainment district at night. They also say that it has wings and tentacles growing out of its back," Mio replied, watching as the kids turned to look at her with inquisitiveness burning in their eyes. The woman then sighed and crossed her arms. "Honestly, I think all of this hubbub has something to do with the alcohol or the food they're serving in those water holes. It's making people see ghosts in alleyways and monsters in trash cans. My family is better off not getting involved with that nonsense."

" _Hmm… sounded more than just nonsense to me,"_ Naruto thought to himself, while wisely choosing not to comment outwardly on the woman's words. The last thing he wanted to do was start up an argument with their client and ruin their whole expedition.

Looking silently at one another, the three kids thought about whether they should say something to her. However, upon hearing the woman's reasoning and realizing that she didn't want to have anything to do with the matter, they instead decided to focus on the real reason that they were there. While Sasuke looked around the room and Naruto quietly stood nearby with his hands on his pockets, Sakura then pulled out the scroll she'd been given by their teacher and handed it over to the woman.

"Team 7 of _Konohagakure_ has gladly accepted the D-Rank contract you sent through to the village. As a precaution, we have to ensure that the information you provided is accurate and that you are in fact the client who posted the request," Sakura informed, speaking in a manner she'd heard Kakashi use on their previous jobs.

Mio smiled at the girl's professional manner. "Of course. No problem." She then opened up the scroll and read through it quickly. "Do you need me to sign anywhere?"

"Yes, please. We need you to authenticate the signature from your letter with a second one. It lets the village know that we arrived at the designated mission location," Sakura answered promptly, with Naruto and Sasuke listening patiently in the background.

After watching the woman read through the document and then sign it with a pen on the table, she then returned the scroll to the kunoichi. With the client and the contract officially confirmed, the children could now get into the particulars about their assignment.

"So… your children… Mako and Aoi? Are the two of them home yet?" Naruto asked while approaching the young mother with Tama sitting alert and ready on his shoulder.

Mio turned to the young man and beamed brightly. "I saw them rush into the woods half an hour ago with a couple of their friends from school. I think they're having some sort of… _secret club meeting_." She said the last part in a whisper, which in turn had Naruto and Sakura grin a little at how enthusiastic the mother was about this little venture of hers. "My son turned seven today and has been really looking forward to spending time with his friends. His present and card are on the kitchen table. I'll go grab them."

Watching the mother disappear around the corner, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura reconvened in the middle of the living room. When they looked at each other, the pinkette shrugged thoughtfully.

"I think it's going great so far."

"I'll say," Sasuke replied in his usual tone. "You handled that pretty well."

"Yeah. Way to go, Sakura… I mean, _Team Leader_ ," Naruto exclaimed, earning a bashful smile from his female teammate. Compliment given, the blond then turned his gaze towards the shogi doors leading out into the backyard. His thoughts quickly turned to the senior member of their squad. "I wonder what Kakashi-sensei is doing right now."

OOO

(Back in town)

While his students were strolling along with their laid-back, easy D-Rank mission, Kakashi found himself bogged down in a case that was quickly becoming quite complicated.

Though the Jonin wasn't unaccustomed to these kinds of assignments- considering he had a track record of over two-hundred A-Rank missions in over fifteen countries- solving murder mysteries was something he ranked as one of the lowest on his list of frequent adventures. Though tracking and locating were pretty much a shinobi's bread and butter in peacetime, it wasn't every day a Jonin of his caliber was pulled aside from their daily routines to unravel a series of gruesome killings in a small merchant village on the edge of the country. Something like this would've normally been left up to the town itself or given to one of the smaller hidden villages in the area.

However, fate had decided that he had to be in that place and at that time, and so there he was- examining murder sites and attempting to figure out _who_ or _what_ was killing people in the dead of night.

The first thing the Jonin examined were the last three murder victims, which were being kept in a store house near the river's port. Upon analyzing the wounds on the bodies and the victims themselves, Kakashi was quick to identify a few important details.

The first was the most obvious: each of the victims had been violently stabbed and cut up, with their throats ripped open. Just like the villagers that discovered them, the Jonin initially suspected that some kind of medium-sized predator- like a mountain lion or a wolf- had attacked them, due to the severity, shape, and consistency of the wounds around their necks, which looked as though they'd been inflicted by a set of very sharp teeth. But after a careful study of their chests and torsos, Kakashi noticed that the wounds inflicted there had been made, not by claws, but by a very long and very sharp blade. He could tell from the spacing between the scars and holes.

While a lot of blood had been drained from the bodies, both victims had remained surprisingly intact.

From this, the Jonin could conclude two more things: that whatever attacked these men was incredibly aggressive and that the animal responsible for the murders was actually _human_ … or at the very least sentient.

In his experience, Kakashi couldn't remember ever coming up against something like this. On top of being thoroughly torn up, the injuries inflicted on each of the three victims were incredibly similar to one another. This told the man that he wasn't just dealing with a vicious predator, but also one who followed the same pattern of attacks- first striking the torso to shut down their internal organs and then finishing with a decisive blow to the neck. To be able to kill repeatedly in this fashion showed great skill in attacking and disabling movements, which also indicated that the victims may have also been caught off guard by their assailant.

Following his forensic analysis of the bodies, Kakashi then moved on to the scenes where the bodies were discovered. Just as Shihei had told him and what he soon discovered for himself, the location of each killing was focused around the village's main strip in the popular entertainment district, within a radius of two to three suburbs.

For a murderer to strike repeatedly and successfully within such a small area being routinely patrolled by police officers showed that this killer was incredibly efficient and well-organized. That or they knew how to pick and choose their targets, right down to the last second so that they wouldn't get caught. So not only was this killer strong enough to overcome a full-grown man and quick enough to evade detection, they were also fiercely intelligent and able to perform their activities within earshot of other people, yet do so without being discovered.

Kakashi investigated all the places the bodies had been found- the earlier sites having been cleaned and swept up by the villagers. Arriving at the alleyway where one of the samurai victims had been discovered, the man attempted to make sense as to what might've happened from the faint marks and tracks he was able to make out in the ground.

"Even though this is an incredibly popular area, very few people come down this alley," the Jonin whispered, retracing the steps made by the samurai via the barely perceptible footprints he could glimpse beneath those left behind by the people who discovered his body. Obviously the villagers had done their best not to trample over the scene when clearing out his corpse. "The man stood… _here_." Kakashi then looked down the alley, which he noticed was quite narrow with very few corners or places to hide behind. "It was dark and he had been drinking, which means his other senses would've been too dulled to pick up anything behind him. That means his attacker must've appeared in front of him, which is why he stopped." At that point the Jonin noticed skid marks along the wall to his right and turned. "He spun around and tried to flee… kicked up some dirt. Something must've scared him."

Taking a few paces back the way he'd come, Kakashi then frowned when he spotted the dried pool of blood about three feet away and took note of the splatter marks along the walls. He also took note of the scrape marks in the floor and the way the dirt had been scattered.

"There was a struggle. Lasted only a few seconds. I'm guessing the samurai was attacked here… tried to defend himself," Kakashi whispered, analyzing the spacing in the victim's prints. "He took a stance and drew his sword, but his attacker still managed to get him." He then frowned a little. "What doesn't make sense is that… whoever attacked him… managed to get in front of him before he could run. But… _how_?"

In such a narrow corridor with such a limited amount of space to move, dodge, or swarm, it was virtually impossible for anyone to get in front of a target if they decided to retreat. Even the fastest and most capable ninja couldn't have jumped over a target in this space.

After checking out the buildings around the area from down low and up high, the Jonin then ventured to the storehouse behind the main boulevard where another of the victims had been discovered. From his thorough investigations of the area, the silver haired shinobi was hoping against all hope to pick up some sort of trail left behind by the murderer… or a small clue that could help him figure out exactly what kind of foe he was tracking.

But as Shihei and his police force informed him earlier, the 'beast' left absolutely nothing behind, except a pool of blood and a thoroughly butchered victim.

" _Whoever is doing this must be trained in the shinobi arts,"_ Kakashi thought as he inspected the ground where the victim had been lying. He then looked around at the buildings and the trees surrounding him. _"Plenty of places to mount an ambush and very few places to escape. But even the best shinobi leave some kind of trail."_ Whereas the person he was pursuing did not.

Chalking up everything he knew, the 'beast' prowling about the village was actually a person who was fast, strong, good with a blade, didn't leave a single print or mark behind, and had a tendency to take a chomp out of its victims while killing them. They could also move around without being detected and vanish just as mysteriously as they appear. The brutality of the attacks also indicated that the perpetrator was attacking these individuals out of hatred and scorn… possibly for a past misdeed or misfortune done to them. And since they seemed to be working their way up from ordinary villagers, to travellers, and now samurai, they also appeared to be growing bolder in their attacks… and more practiced.

Kakashi knew there was some kind of connection here.

" _The murderer is focusing all of their efforts around this area of the village… where men are frequently getting drunk and having fun. Considering the gender of all the victims and the manners in which they are being killed, I think the person I'm looking for is a woman,"_ Kakashi thought, while simultaneously scanning the area. His observation made sense in a way. The individual has shown extreme proficiency in killing, but it looked as though they were somehow still 'testing' their capabilities- going after men who were disorientated or weakened, and who originated from different professions. Looking back on his past experiences in dealing with assassins, stealth, poisons, and speed were elements women favored highly when going after targets, which then led the Jonin to one other conclusion. _"Since the attacks are centered solely on this district… that means the murderer must come from_ _ **this**_ _village."_

But where? If hatred was guiding their actions and compelling them to strike at such random intervals, then it had to be a person who has experienced some kind of horrible trauma.

While he was surveying the village and the surrounding countryside, Kakashi then noticed something off on a distant hill. Narrowing his eye on the rise in the middle of the field and stepping closer to get a better view, the Jonin saw what looked like an old farm house, which had been burned down and destroyed. The entire property surrounding the blackened frames was completely overgrown, with the wall surrounding the estate grumbling and falling into disrepair.

It looked as though someone hadn't lived there for a while.

Curious, the silver haired man walked to one of the nearby homes. He ended up stopping by a small picket fence, where he saw a middle-aged woman sweeping dust and leaves off of her back porch.

Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke, catching the grey-haired maiden's attention. "Excuse me, ma'am. Could you tell me who used to live in that house on top of the hill? I was looking around and couldn't help but notice the place seems to have been burned down."

Glancing across to where the man was referring, the woman in the shawl- who looked to be in her late fifties- nodded thoughtfully. "Ah. That building used to be the home of Madoka Igarashi." Propping her broom next to her and resting her hand on top of it, the villager fixed her gaze on the ruined house in the distance. "My mother told me about her while I was growing up. She and Madoka used to be best friends when they were kids- playing out in the fields and running around the woods, playing hide and seek. When they were older, Madoka met a shinobi named Haido, who came to our town from another village… I think _Konohagakure_. They fell in love, married, had a child together, and settled down."

Sensing that there was something more to this, the Jonin nodded to her. "What happened to them?"

The woman's head lowered. "A few years into their new lives, during a very cold winter night, a fire suddenly engulfed Madoka's house, leaving the family trapped inside." She then looked up at the shinobi with a grave look in her eyes. "Everyone in the village saw it happen. The flames grew so large and so fast that no one was able to respond in time to put them out. Madoka, her husband, and their child ended up perishing in the inferno. By the time morning came around, all the people were able to find of the family were three charred bodies huddled together in the living room- with the mother clutching the body of her child." A heavy sigh left the woman's lips at the conclusion of her story. "It was awful."

"Hmm… interesting," Kakashi thought, at the same time glancing back at the house as well. "I imagine this must've happened a while back."

"Indeed. I think… all of this took place around the time of Hashirama and Madara… back when the Five Great villages were first formed." Those had been turbulent times for everyone, even those living in the countryside. Of course, different era, different people, different conflicts. "Some say Madoka's ghost still haunts the building… and can be seen wandering the village at night when the moon is full," the woman continued, before then shrugging at that last part. "Of course, that's all just silly superstition. Everyone knows ghosts aren't actually real. They're just creatures from fairytales told to youngsters in order to warn them to go to bed early and to not talk to strangers."

While Kakashi seemed to accept this story for what it was at face value, the Jonin couldn't help but spare the details a bit more careful thought. His eyes set on the house, which from where he stood seemed to permeate a discomforting, shadowy mist.

OOO

(An hour later)

Back with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, you could find the trio were getting along with their mission very smoothly. While their little stop on the main strip of Isahaya had been a momentary, unnerving bump in the road for them, the group of youngsters were quick to gather their senses and proceed with their original assignment at a comfortable pace.

Upon leaving their traveling gear in the living room of Mio Hirasawa's home and collecting any other equipment they deemed useful, the members of squad seven headed into the woods- with parcel and birthday card in hand. It didn't take them long to pick up the trail left behind by their targets, as not only were they able to use the directions provided by their client, but the footprints left behind by the children were quite noticeable.

Obviously the brother and sister frequented these paths often, which made the job of tracking them all the more simple.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Sakura began as she, Naruto and Sasuke leapt off the start of the dirty track and up into the trees. Since this was supposed to be something of a surprise mission, the trio figured that taking the less traveled route above the main footpath would provide a much better vantage point for them to complete it. "We'll find Mako and Aoi's hideout, locate the entrance, and then drop in and surprise Mako with his birthday present."

"Do you think we should knock?" Naruto asked as the trio began springing through the trees in a tidy formation, making sure to keep within earshot of one another as they traced the forest path below to their destination. Even though this was supposedly a route to a super-secret 'shinobi' hideout, the kids didn't really make an effort to hide their route. Then again, they weren't ninjas. "I mean, sure, I love scaring the crap out of children as much as the next asshole, but…"

"We'll call them out and drop down in front of them once we've gotten their attention. At least that way we won't frighten them too much and cause them to have any… uhh… _accidents_ ," Sakura reasoned. Obviously she meant 'didn't piss themselves'. Low key as the job was, she still wanted to handle this with a little bit of professionalism.

"That sounds like a solid enough plan to me," Sasuke commented from the pinkette's right as he landed on the branch furthest away before springing to the next one.

"Hey. How about we make it into a bit?" Naruto asked, waiting a moment for Sakura to get alongside him before sticking to her flank. "Act like a team of big shot, super important shinobi from the daimyo who were tasked with delivering a secret message to their organization?" He said this last part in a slightly different tone, giving him a bit more of a tough-guy air that was a few steps down from his self-crafted street fighter persona. "You know, kind of like how Kakashi said when he told us about this mission."

"Oh yeah. Totally," Sakura exclaimed as she got up alongside the blond and grinned at him. "We'll play it like this: you can be the hotheaded, brash, rogue member of the group with a flair for heroism, I'll be the calm, sophisticated, and level-headed girl who takes care of all the political business…" She then looked across at their other teammate, who they could see was sailing through the trees a few meters away. "And Sasuke can play the quiet, reserved tough-guy who doesn't give a lick about anything."

Naruto blinked as he also looked across at their teammate before a smug grin crossed his face. "So… basically he'll be playing _himself_?"

Hearing the blonde's commented earned a careless grunt from the raven-haired bad-boy. "Pft. Whatever. My performance will still blow yours out of the water."

"Ha! We'll see about that, teme," Naruto laughed, before breaking off from Sakura's side to hurdle the next lot of trees and avoid crashing into their trunks.

Initially the Genin thought that the hideout the kids had setup in the forest would be just a stone's throw away from the house- that it would only take them a few minutes to get there. However, as they ventured further into the woods via the path below, and noticed the flora starting to grow heavier and the light start to grow dimmer, the team quickly realized that the leg to Mako's secret clubhouse was a lot further out than they anticipated. With the sun starting to set behind them and night beginning to encroach upon the countryside, Naruto and the others soon began making preparations for a night run, as the woods would present a smaller challenge than they were hoping.

But just as they were beginning to worry that maybe they were following the wrong set of tracks, the group soon happened upon a small clearing at the foot of a large hill. The tiny open grove, which was nestled comfortably between a series of large figs and evergreen trees, had a small hut standing in the center of it. The building, made up of timber, branches and twigs, was completely rundown and falling apart- as evident by the caved in roof and the tree growing out of it.

As shabby and unkempt as the place was, Naruto and the others knew almost immediately that this was the kids' play house. Aside from being abandoned, the place also had a bunch of wooden boards and signs outside of it, with scribblings over it saying 'keep out' and 'no trespassing'. The latter was completely misspelled and the kanji was all over the place, but the Genin got the gist of what the boards were saying.

"Heh. Cool place for a hideout," Naruto remarked as he checked out the one-person hut and its surroundings. "Wonder how they ended up finding it." After all it was smack bang in the middle of the woods and completely isolated from everyone and everything.

"Well… the family does live outside of the main village and the mother said the kids go out a lot," Sakura replied with a shrug. "Perhaps they stumbled across it while they were exploring the woods."

Naruto nodded, at the same time the tiny fox on his shoulder yipped. "Sounds solid." It was then the child frowned when he saw a shimmer in the branches and looked up. This quickly drew his attention to a rather unusual observation. "Huh. Why are all the trees covered in spider webs?"

Sakura and Sasuke also noticed this too. After looking up at the surrounding canopy, the trio saw that the entire grove in the upper branches and trunks were completely strewn with webs and silk. There were practically carpets of the stuff running across the ceiling of the woods, so much so that it caused the light from the setting sun to fracture and split where there were heavy amounts of netting. The fact that there was so much had the three kids look about cautiously, with Sakura instinctively and sharply moving her hand away from the trunk, as if something small had just crawled across her hand.

Thankfully there was nothing.

"Damn, there's a lot," Naruto remarked, craning his head a little to get a better look through the hole in the tree. But all he saw was more silk. "Why is there so much?"

"Ugh. I hate spiders," Sakura murmured, her eyes scanning the leaves intently before moving back down to the hut below.

Getting a few chills himself, Sasuke then shook his head and crouched down lower. "Alright. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get out of this bug-infested area."

"Agreed," Naruto remarked with a nod. "I'm not too keen in hanging out in some creepy-crawly's nest."

With all of them in agreement, the kids then made sure they were in a good enough position to start their performance. While Sasuke double-checked to make sure that he still had the present with him and Naruto checked his jacket pocket for the letter from the mother, Sakura then quietly checked with the boys to see if they were ready. Once she received affirmative nods from them, the pinkette then cleared her throat and, clutching hold of the trunk, called out at the top of her lungs.

"Hello, down there!" the girl called out in a noticeably deeper voice, which she used in an attempt to sound both mature and intimidating. Of course, due to her tone being naturally high pitch, it just sounded a little strange, which had Naruto and Sasuke look at one another in amusement. "Is there a Mako and Aoi Hirasawa here?! We have come bearing an important message for you!"

…

…

…

After a full minute of waiting patiently for a response and hearing nothing, the members of Team 7 shared a series of thoughtful looks. Curiosity getting to them, Sasuke focused his gaze on the hut and activated his Sharingan. After a quick scan through his bright red eyes, the boy frowned a little.

"I see a few chakra signatures inside. That must be them, but… there's something off about the walls." Maybe it was heavily insulated or something.

Deciding waiting and watching wasn't getting them anywhere, the more action-orientated Naruto opted for a different approach. "Well… we're not going to find out anything by sitting up here." With Tama jumping off of his shoulder first, the blond then dove down after her in a blur, with both Sasuke and Sakura following close behind.

Landing in front of the small, dilapidated house, the Genin slowly approached the door. With expressions and stances relaxed, showcasing poise and assertiveness, the brave Naruto adjusted his blue scarf and knocked on the door.

A few loud raps was soon followed by a call, "Anybody home?!"

Through the silence and the cracks in the door, the trio of rookie ninja heard the distinct sound of clamoring and feet shuffling.

"S-Somebody is outside," a little girl on the other side of the barrier whispered.

"Shhh! Quiet. They'll hear you," a boy replied.

"Isa, do you see anyone?"

Looking back at his friends, Naruto took a brisk step to the side and allowed Sakura to take the reins.

"We're looking for Mako Hirasawa," the pinkette called again, using the same pitch she'd used when she was up in the trees. "We have an urgent message for him."

In that moment, a series of voices started shouting back. "Go away!"

"Yeah! Leave us alone!"

"This is _our_ hide out! No one else is allowed in here!"

"Only members of the _Ultra Secret Ninja Society_ are emitted!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the door. "I think the word you wanted to use is _admitted_ ," the Uchiha corrected.

"W-Whatever!" the boy shouted back stubbornly, at the same time sounding embarassed at his mistake. "Just go away, whoever you are! You're ruining our fun!"

Inhaling deeply, Naruto then leant forward and called through the cracks in the hut's wall. "I'm afraid we can't do that, squirt. You see, we have a very important letter to deliver to Mako Hirasawa, and it is imperative that we deliver it to him personally. It's come straight from the fire daimyo himself."

Sakura, wisely choosing to play along, quickly backed her teammate with an immediate follow-up, "You can trust us. We're ninja sent from _Konohagakure_."

The clamor behind the door stopped for but a moment. A few seconds later, the sounds of footsteps followed by a lock on the other side clicking led to the broken door being opened. Once it was, the members of Team 7 then saw four sets of eyes creep into view- two of them boys and two of them girls- who then looked up at the three Genin guardedly.

Sakura, figuring the tykes were a little bit scared, put on a warm smile and leant forward, placing her hands on her knees. "Hey there. Don't worry. There's no need to be afraid."

"W-What do you want?" a little girl around seven years old with pig tails in her brown hair and wearing a yellow kimono-style blouse asked.

"We have a package to deliver to little Mako, like we said," Naruto added, at the same time Tama leapt back up onto his shoulder to peer down at the kids as well. The sight of the little white fox actually had a couple of the children peering through the crack in the door stare at the blond in surprise.

"Would one of you happen to be him?" Sakura asked curiously, at the same time glancing observantly between the worried-looking kids.

After sharing tentative stares, the boy closest to the door pulled it further open- revealing a young lad with black spiky hair, wearing a green shirt and brown shorts. When he stepped onto the threshold between the hut and the clearing outside, the boy straightened up bravely before the three older children from the hidden leaf.

"I'm Mako," the boy replied in a firm voice.

"Ah. Then you are just the man we wanted to see!" Naruto exclaimed in a big voice, puffing his chest out to make himself look more important. "It's nice to meet you. We are-"

"You three shouldn't be here!" the girl with pig tails interrupted, stepping out from behind the archway to glare up at the Genin. "This is _our_ secret hideout! _Our_ base!"

The child's irate jabs caused the three Genin in front of her to balk slightly, as they weren't expecting to receive such an angry response upon their arrival.

"Get out of here! You guys are spoiling everything!" the second boy in the group shouted while glaring up at the trio like his companions. "Mako and Aoi said their _special friend_ won't show up unless we're all hiding inside this house!"

"Yeah! You're going to scare her away!" the second girl with the orange hair tied into a ponytail spoke, also stepping into the doorway to confront the intruders. "Shoo! Buzz off!"

This was an unexpected turn of events. While Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke had been expecting to be greeted by the children with open arms, here they suddenly found themselves in the extraordinary position of being chased away. Sure, kids liked their fun and games, and whenever they were in a group they didn't like anybody joining in. But after supposedly being told by the mother that her son and daughter loved shinobi, and would've been over the moon to actually meet one in person, they were instead receiving a tongue-lashing for simply knocking on their club house's front door.

And they hadn't even told the kid about his present yet.

From their point of view, their little birthday surprise mission was quickly becoming a textbook failure.

While the three stood there looking at one another, with Tama also sharing glances with the kids, the group failed to spot a dark shadow fall over the clearing behind them- with the specter casting it growing more and more into focus as it slowly lowered itself into the grove from the canopy above.

"A… special friend?" Sasuke murmured.

"Who exactly is this friend of yours?" Sakura asked. She remembered hearing about this when Kakashi told them about their mission back in the hidden leaf. Of course neither of them thought anything of it, as they were more concerned about the reason they were coming out here to begin with. But now that it has been brought up, the kunoichi wanted to find out more about it. "Do they come by here often?"

Obviously the kids thought this was incredibly important- enough to have them chased off from delivering a birthday present.

Almost immediately Mako, the apparent head of the children's club, nodded his head ecstatically. "Uh-huh. Every evening."

"We talked about her at school during show-and-tell a few days ago, but our classmates didn't believe that she was real," the girl with the pig tails- Aoi- chimed in afterwards. "So we let a couple of them join our secret club so that they could meet her."

Naruto tightened his lips and hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm… sounds mysterious." He then looked across at Sakura with an intrigued smile. "Someone who only comes out late in the evening and in the middle of the woods? I think I would really like to meet this person."

"Yeah, well… since you guys showed up, I don't think she'll be coming around anymore," Aoi remarked with a disapproving frown. "At least not tonight."

Her brother nodded in agreement. "She may be big and scary-looking, but Spider-chan is really, _really_ shy, and doesn't like talking to strangers. She only comes out when we are inside the hut. That's why we were hiding in here... waiting for her to appear."

"That's a little bit strange," Sasuke commented, his gaze turning to the ruined building in front of them. It was at that point the boy noticed that the webs from the trees above seemed to stretch over the roof of the building as well- only these strands were wide and thick, like ropes.

The sight caused the Uchiha to recoil a little, as he couldn't recall any kind of spider that could leave web trails that large. By his estimate, they had to be the size of a dog or something.

"Spider-chan, huh? What an interesting name." Sakura, figuring that the children were talking about some sort of animal, then elected to broach her next question to them. "Can you tell us more about her? What she looks like?"

The four children standing in the hut's entrance looked at one another, before Aoi stretched out her arms and spoke. "She's about _thiiiiiis_ big. About as big as the pony old man Kentaro-san owns. She's tall, has eight long legs, and six pretty red eyes that glow in the dark." This description immediately had Sakura's smile vanish, while also prompting all three members of Team 7 to stare silently at the girl. "She's also really beautiful."

"The bottom half of her body may look funny, but her top part is completely normal, like ours," Mako informed, before then smiling broadly at the Genin. "When we first found her, she was completely naked. So we let her borrow some of mum's clothes to cover herself up. I think she likes them very much."

This part of the description went completely over Naruto's and his teammates' heads. At that moment, all they could think about was the first portion of the person they were talking about.

"Eight legs?" Sasuke repeated.

"Six eyes?" Naruto also coughed out.

"That… sounds just like a-" Sakura began, only to suddenly stop when she suddenly felt a cold chill on the back of her neck.

In fact, all three members of Team 7 froze when they suddenly became aware of a large shadow that'd suddenly fallen over them. Bodies stiffening when they heard the sound of clicking behind them, the group slowly turned around. When their unblinking eyes shakily focused on the space behind them, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura swore their hearts stopped for a full minute when they saw, towering over them on the tips of its eight slender, armored legs, an enormous Black Widow the size of a small horse- glaring at them with its set of six glowing red eyes.

At first a majority of its body was completely cloaked in the shadow of the forest. However, when it leaned towards the children and exposed itself to a bit more light, the creature revealed that while its bottom half was that of a gargantuan spider, the top half of its body was that of a human girl- wearing a baggy jumper with a hood pulled over her head. To put it into perspective, it was almost like someone chopped the legs off of a child, and stuck her on top of a body of a spider, whose head had also been lopped off.

Though Naruto and Co. did acknowledge the human portion of the creature in question, the fact was that this observation only came well after the fact, and by this time the beast was already standing right behind them.

In that instant, a surprised Aoi chan beamed and pointed past the petrified Genin. "Hey! It's Spider-chan!"

The moment Team Seven's eyes landed on the hybrid arachnid, the creature responded by raising the human arms of its upper body and gave a deep, loud, insect-like hiss. The act of which caused Tama's hair to stand on end, as the little fox leapt onto all fours and growled back at the monster in a threatening manner.

Naruto meanwhile, whose expression mirrored the terror being expressed by both Sasuke and Sakura, could only utter four simple sounds.

"Oh, F.M.L…"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey all. Sorry for the late post, but I've been super busy lately. I'll try to get this story and Drifting updated as well.

BTW, a twist! Can anyone guess what mythological Japanese creature has appeared now?


	16. Demon Hunt Arc - Night of Long Fangs

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Night of Long Fangs_

(Meanwhile)

Back inside of the main village of Isahaya, dusk had already settled over the sleepy little merchant town, marking a quiet end to the day's proceedings. As families turned in for the night, nightwalkers started to turn out, filling the moderately empty main strip and flooding into the bars and clubs that were present. As always, there was no fixed gender or theme to any of the ladies and gentlemen that appeared. It was all random.

Stall owners, shop owners, farmers, merchants, and even a couple of samurai. This wasn't even counting the police officers that the young village leader Shihei had on patrol and had instructed to periodically wander up and down the back streets and alleyways. Even though the man had hired a professional shinobi to track down the animal that'd been attacking civilians over the last two months, he still thought it was wise to maintain vigilance. Hence which was why he had all of his guards and assets out in force, ensuring that order was kept and that if the _Beast of Isahaya_ decided to strike again, they would be ready for it.

While much of their success hinged on just how lucky they were, the officers out on the night shift still had every confidence in their abilities to do their job.

Speaking of jobs, the start of the night period also marked the beginning of the next phase of Kakashi Hatake's assignment.

With his analysis of the crime scenes and bodies done, and with new information brought to the table thanks to some careful sleuthing, the elite Jonin from _Konohagakure_ was now able to carry on with the second part of his mission. In hindsight, it was probably the most significant and important segment of his newly acquired mission…

 _Getting drunk_.

And so there the unflappable silver-haired shinobi sat- at the bar of a club situated somewhere along the main strip, with a multitude of sake bottles next to him and a drinking glass held securely in his right hand. It was apparent that the man had been drinking for quite a while, as evident by the hot shade of red in his cheeks and the drowsy look on his mostly covered face. Though it was not uncommon to see a shinobi enjoying the various tastes and alcohols of an establishment within a particular region or time period, the most peculiar aspect about this whole scenario was that the man kept his mask pulled over his face. It made people wonder how he was able to down drinks in the first place. But that was clearly an answer he wasn't willing to divulge anytime soon.

Due to his currently inebriated state, it was no surprise to see that Kakashi was paying very little attention to the sights and sounds going on around him. Sparing a vague glance back at the rest of the people in the club, who he noticed were wrapped up in their own drinking and conversations, the Jonin promptly raised his glass in a bid to draw the customer service agent over to him.

"Yo. Barkeep. Another round over here, please," the man spoke, his tone slightly slurred and higher in pitch thanks to the bubbles floating about in his head. "Keep the water coming- I plan on getting absolutely and completely *hic* soused tonight."

The man in the kimono top and wearing a white headband stopped in front of the tipsy shinobi and gave him in amused smirk. "Judging from the way you look right now, I'd say you already are."

"Oh, _this_? This is just a measly case of lightheadedness," Kakashi exclaimed while pointing at the man… well, he tried to at least. He ended up pointing at a couple of other things behind the man before eventually steadying his finger on the barkeep seconds later. "You'll know exactly when I've had enough. But until then… and since I'm still able to speak in complete sentences…" He then gestured down at his cup. "Pour me another please."

"Whatever you say, sir," the middle-aged barkeep chuckled, at the same time pulling up another snifter from behind the counter and setting it beside the Jonin.

"You, good man… are a *hic* champion among men," Kakashi said while raising his glass. "We should have more like you around."

After watching the barkeep walk away and picking up the newly drawn bottle beside him, the silver-haired man was suddenly interrupted by a warm and pleasant sounding giggle. When he looked across to his right, the man then noticed a young woman sitting beside him. Sporting a slender figure, ivory white skin, and black hair tied into a messy bun, the Jonin saw that she was also wearing a red kimono with pink flower patterns that hung loosely from her shoulders- to the point they were almost falling off. Tightened around her waist by a white obi, she also sported a pair of comfy slippers over white socks, as well as a hand fan sheathed in her belt.

To cap off her stunning appearance made all the more elegant by the presence of black eyeliner around her gaze, the woman was also concealing the bottom half of her face behind a white surgical mask. Though unusual as far as accessories went, like Kakashi the piece of cloth provided the woman with an air of mystery and intrigue.

She seemed to wear it quite well.

With her legs crossed seductively beside her and showing off a bit of leg, the woman propped her elbow on the desk, while casually balancing a sake glass beside her. "You seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit," the woman commented in a strong yet smooth voice- which bore the distinct pitch similar to that of a calm mother's vocals. "Busy day?"

Kakashi chuckled while turning to face the stranger with a bit more dignity. "Busy evening, actually." He then gestured towards the door of the establishment, which stood just a few yards away and in clear view of the bar. "Not too long ago I was running up and down the entire town looking for something that can't be found. You might even say that I was looking for some sort of ghost. Heh. Silly, right?"

"Well, I'm not one to judge. When you've got a job to do, you've got a job to do." The woman tilted her head curiously. "Interesting garb you have on. Are you a shinobi?"

The Jonin clicked at her with his finger. "Bingo."

"Have you been in town long?"

"I arrived here earlier this afternoon with my squad on a mission. It was supposed to be a quick, easy birthday assignment that the little ones would have no problems completing. But after setting foot on the main strip, I ended up getting roped into another case by the village leader instead… and it's had me running circles across the entire area for the last few hours." Kakashi concluded his summary by running his finger over the rim of his alcohol cup.

"Ooh. Sounds quite exhausting," the woman murmured, at the same time setting her own glass of sake down and staring at it thoughtfully. "I'm a seamstress by trade. I weave and adjust kimonos for anyone interested in my work. But as fulfilling as fashion design goes, I doubt it's as exciting or troublesome as the work of a ninja."

"Indeed. But after doing this for as long as I have, you get pretty used to the grinding and the surprises. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't cut loose every once in a while to have some fun," Kakashi said, at the same time pushing his mask down a little bit so that he could take a sip. The woman in front of him raised an eyebrow in interest at the handsome mug she saw underneath- quietly observing the man as he took a gulp from his glass before setting it down with a quiet 'clack'. "Like you said- *hic* a shinobi's life is never dull. That's what I learned day one out of the academy."

"Heh. I'm sure a man as experienced and well-traveled as you certainly has a lot of interesting stories to tell," the woman murmured. "They're probably a great deal more interesting than most of the tales in this entire club." It was in that moment she then tilted her head in a way that caused the side of her dress to slide down a little, exposing a bit more of her ample cleavage than what would normally be intended. Being in such a drunken state already, the action managed to catch Kakashi's attention for the briefest of moments, with the man unable to help but remark inwardly at how attractive the female actually was. Apparently this was exactly the kind of subtle response the stranger was looking for. "Maybe… you would like to tell me some of these recounts back at my apartment?"

Swaying groggily in his seat for a moment as he looked the enchanting female over for a moment, the man then looked up into her orange eyes and smiled beneath his mask. "My, you're pretty direct, aren't you?" the man asked, which earned a sly smile from the woman in return.

"I don't like beating around the bush with pointless flirting… especially with someone I don't plan on seeing a second time. I've come here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to relax, enjoy myself, and get some action. In other words, let my hair down."

"Surely that's not in the literal sense, right?" Kakashi remarked groggily.

The masked woman giggled. "What do you think?"

After a moment of consideration, the one-eyed ninja nodded. "Alright. I think I'll *hic* take you up on that offer. Would you like to go now?"

The woman nodded. "Sure."

"Alrighty, then." With a little stumble, the man promptly rose from his seat and slipped his hands into his pockets. After rummaging around and placing a wad of cash over on the desk to pay off his tab, he then waited for the woman to join him.

She did so in the most graceful of manners, uncrossing her legs and snapping open her fan. Waving it at her face as she also put coins down, she then slowly sauntered out of the club, leading the way for the two of them out onto the street. Once the cool breeze of night touched their skins and the neon lights flickered into view, the duo then began heading down the highway towards the edge of the village.

Kakashi staggered alongside his acquiescent partner for the evening, who continued to fan her face as she strolled on. When her gaze shifted over to the red-faced shinobi, the masked woman chirped flirtatiously.

"You seem to be carrying yourself well, despite all the sake you've had to drink tonight," she remarked.

Kakashi chuckled lightly while looking back at the woman coyly. "My metabolism processes alcohol a lot faster than a normal person. It's a skill they taught to us when we joined the ANBU… though I managed to learn it even before I volunteered." From the way he said it, the Jonin sounded like he was almost bragging.

 _Almost_.

"Hmm… that must have been some devilishly hard training," the woman murmured curiously while siding up a little bit closer to the man, who leaned away a bit when the world rocked ever so slightly from his point of view. "What is it like though? Being an elite ninja working for a big village? I can't help thinking that your superiors send you out on a lot of escort and assassination missions on a day-to-day basis."

It was at this point Kakashi became vaguely aware of a light mist starting to pull in over the village from the direction of the hills. As the temperature dropped and visibility on the brightly lit road started to grow a little dimmer, the man continued to trade small talk with his incredibly receptive and pleasant company. "Testing to see if the alcohol levels in my body have loosened my tongue a little?"

The woman snickered while using her fan to cover her chin and lips. Not that it mattered since she already had the surgical mask there. "Call it a simple woman's intrigue. You seem like a very serious and dangerous individual."

Kakashi beamed. "Only when I'm on duty. As of right now though, I'm *hic* on a short break… so you don't have to worry about me drawing my weapons on you while we're having a friendly chat."

"That's a relief," the masked female giggled, before then slowing down as they came upon a T-junction in the road. She then gestured down the path leading between two buildings, where it narrowed a little towards the back. "We can take a shortcut. My house is down this way."

The silver haired man blinked as he looked towards the alley. "A-Are you sure?" the man hiccupped a little when the woman turned to him. "I heard that there's supposed to be some kind of dangerous beast prowling about the village and attacking people. They say it goes after them in the alleys and behind buildings."

A smile continued to grace the woman's delicate features. "I take this route all the time and I haven't been touched once… especially not by some 'beast'. Besides, a super elite, super strong ninja from _Konohagakure_ is escorting me tonight." She then craned her head at the man and fluttered her eyes enticingly. "I doubt we'll have anything to fear from some forest predator with you hanging around."

Processing the woman's words quickly, Kakashi eventually conceded to her reasoning and responded with a courteous nod. "Okay. If you say so." He then gestured down the path. "Ladies first."

The villager in the red kimono murmured approvingly. "My, my. A gentleman as well." She strolled on, with Kakashi sticking close to her and keeping an ever vigilant- yet slightly hazy- eye out for anything suspicious that might be waiting for them up ahead.

As they entered the alley, the neon lights of the street and the still slightly lit night sky above gave way to shadow. The fact that the fog also seemed to be thickening around them didn't exactly help their visibility much. But with a keen eye and a careful step, the pair were confident they'd be able to make it down this alley without tripping or stumbling over anything. There was even a small sense of relief to be gained, as both Kakashi and the woman saw two police officers appear at the end of the walkway a dozen or so yards ahead.

When they stopped and shone their lantern in their direction, Kakashi gave a wave to them and they waved back. After which they carried on.

"Quite a few police officers walking around," Kakashi commented as he stuck beside the woman, just behind her shoulder. It was at this point he noted that she stood just half a head shorter than him, and that her fan was being held close to her face. "I don't think the *hic* local monster will attack anybody tonight. Not when there's so many people about."

"I agree. But you never know," the woman replied cheerfully, not even noticing her partner's footsteps suddenly begin to slow. "I heard this beast is incredibly clever… and that it's managed to kill several people without anybody even noticing. That's quite a scary thing to hear about a primitive creature, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah. Especially since it manages to sneak around the village so well without being noticed."

The woman then stopped abruptly yet calmly in her tracks when she suddenly felt a cold length of metal press up against the front of her neck, which would've gone straight through her had she kept on walking. As it turns out, her gentleman escort had managed to fall in directly behind her and draw a kunai without her realizing, which he was now using to hold the woman safely at point.

"But then again… who would ever suspect a pretty young thing like you to be the monster?"

Despite the sudden turn of events, the woman remained completely unfazed and unshaken. Even her expression remained coolly locked on the alleyway in front of her.

Kakashi, whose apparent drunkenness had obviously been a complete ruse, was now maintaining a firm stance behind his would-be charge, with his headband pulled up and both eyes fixed squarely on his target. What he revealed underneath his forehead protector was a very neat scar over his left eye- the latter of which was glowing bright red with three black tomoe circling the pupil. Any person knowledgeable of shinobi anatomy and dōjutsu would easily recognize the odd iris formation as a _**Sharingan**_ , which Kakashi was now bearing at full glare on the masked woman.

A steady breath exhaled the man's lips through his covering. "Decided to change tactics, huh? Instead of waiting around for drunk bar patrons to wander into your territory, you've started going into clubs to lure them out yourself? Murdering getting a little slow lately?"

The woman's shoulders shook when she laughed under her breath. "You could say that." She then looked back at the woman, but didn't move her head when she felt the blade of his kunai move a little closer to her jugular. "I sensed somebody was snooping around my territory, trying to locate my tracks and hunt me down. When I decided to meet the person that'd taken such an interest in my activities, I ran into _you_. How amusing."

Kakashi narrowed his gaze a little more on the back of the woman's head. It was strange. Normally a person would be emitting some sort of heat signature, which any ordinary living thing would feel if they stood close enough to someone. But this woman felt like she had an icy chill emanating off of her.

It was like his arm was being suspended inside a refrigerator.

"I've heard of few ninja who can make themselves completely invisible to the human eye, as well as to other extra sensory abilities. The Second Tsuchikage for example had a surprising knack for that area," the Jonin commented while scanning the woman with his dōjutsu. "But you… your chakra is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I can barely make it out with my Sharingan." If she weren't standing right in front of him, the man was certain she'd be completely invisible to his borrowed kekkei genkai. "What exactly are you?"

The woman chuckled. "I was right… you _are_ a sharp one," she exclaimed, her gaze turning back to the alley in front of her while her fan remained suspended where it was. During which time the fingers on her right hand subtly twitched under the sleeve of her robe; an action that went completely amiss by Kakashi. "And here I was expecting you to probe me with some other idle questions… like _who_ , _why_ and _how_? Boring little inquiries that would only drag things along."

"You're not human. That much is clear," Kakashi muttered, his thumb twitching as he adjusted the kunai a little. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. What's more, the aura around his target was intensifying, becoming darker and darker as the seconds in their engagement ticked by. "So why don't you drop the smugness and the dramatics, and tell me exactly why you killed all those people?"

"Hmm… before I answer your question… could you do me this little courtesy and answer this one first?" the woman replied, shutting the fan she was holding and clenching it tightly in her hand. The action prompted Kakashi to put up his guard, his eyes following her left hand as she slowly moved her fan away from her face. This meant he completely missed the sight of a long blade appearing in her concealed right hand and the wide, murderous grin that stretched across her lips. "Do you think I'm… _**pretty**_?"

Before Kakashi could muster a sound in response, his eyes widened in horror when- using speed he did not anticipate- the dark-haired woman smacked the kunai out of his hand with her fan before suddenly whirling around on the spot- chopping at his head with a spinning back fist and a pair of scissors held firmly in her grip.

Though everything happened in an instant, from the Jonin's point of view, her movements happened in slow motion. _Barely_.

When Kakashi glimpsed the weapon and the wildness in the woman's eyes as she spun around to face him, the Jonin had just enough time to sway back to avoid her blow. The wind rushing past the ridge of his nose indicated just how close he came to losing it. Reacting instinctively, the shinobi then threw himself into a backflip, which allowed him to dodge the woman's follow-up strikes, before eventually springing away when she lunged at him with a stabbing motion.

Kakashi didn't even have time to think about retaliation when the masked female closed in on him. Her insane agility and aggression just came completely out of nowhere.

Metal flashed through the air around his body as the Konoha ninja ducked and evaded the woman's lightning fast strikes. Two close shaves prompted Kakashi to draw another kunai and eventually intercept one of her running blows. Sparks flew when her weapon collided with his, locking both individuals in a stand-still as they pushed against one another with their full body weight. Their feet skidded and dug into the floor as a result.

The pair ended up coming so close to one another in the tussle that the heat of their breaths mingled in midair, which had now become thickened with a cold mist.

"My, my, my…" A giggle left the assassin female's lips. However, unlike the previous playful nature it once held, the woman's voice had become distorted, deeper, and more demonic in tone. It was almost as though it was resonating with three voices instead of one. "A meaty one. And here I thought this was going to be another easy kill for me."

Kakashi grunted back, clearly unamused at how quickly the situation had escalated. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. But unlike all of the other men you've murdered, you'll find I'm not that easy to take down." Though he said this through a calm disposition, on the inside the Jonin was feeling quite anxious.

Right now he was pushing back against the woman with almost all the strength he could muster. Yet, for some reason, this frail, prickly flower of a villager was managing to hold him off with little to no effort at all. Heck, she was even laughing at him while they were gnashing blades with one another.

The metal of their weapons sparking once again when their grips shifted slightly, the masked woman then gave a low sneer. "Hmph. Perhaps we should change that."

All of a sudden, Kakashi suddenly felt his body start to slide back along the floor, his eyes widening when he felt the woman start pushing him back. His muscles hardening in response to the woman's sharp increase in strength, the silver haired warrior then concentrated chakra into the soles of his feet to dig himself in. The ground literally cracked behind him when the Jonin locked himself down in an effort to stop his foe from gaining the advantage.

While the woman in the surgical mask grinned murderously at him from behind her veil, the now heavily sweating Kakashi gritted his teeth as his body shook under the strain. _"Damn. She's strong. How is she able to exert so much force from such a small body?"_ Figuring he wouldn't be able to hold her off for much longer, the man then decided to take action.

With a quick twist of his wrist and a pivot, the Jonin deflected the woman's scissors to the side and retaliated with a sharp elbow to her face, knocking her back with a vicious blow. Despite the painful shot to face, the woman merely gave a playful giggle as her head bobbed about and body hunched over. After which the then creepy woman then lunged in at her target in another wild attempt to slash him with her scissors. But Kakashi, quick as ever, hiked off of the wall beside him, dodged the woman's strike, got behind her, and with a quick spin to match the woman's, slammed a crushing kick across her face.

The blow landed with a loud and sickening crunch, which knocked the woman spiraling into the wall further down the alley and crashing into it shoulder first. When Kakashi landed and took a stance, he immediately believed his attack must've broken some sort of bone- as evident by the wounded position the woman had taken.

However, after remaining hunched over for a couple of seconds in a daze, the masked female looked up. What the Jonin saw next petrified him beyond measure.

The surgical mask the woman had been wearing had come loose from her ear, revealing a hideously scarred up face underneath. The gashes on her exposed cheek, which looked to be fresh, seemed to stretch from the corner of her lip all the way up to her ear- with the wound itself looking as though it'd been inflicted by a knife. However, while this gaping injury was shocking enough on its own, Kakashi knew that he wasn't the one that made it.

What he _did_ manage to do however was smash the woman in the jaw so hard, he dislocated it almost entirely- unhinging it from the skull and causing the bottom part to dangle from a visible tendon that was still connected to her skull. Hanging precariously from the right hand side with the tongue also rolled out in a grotesque manner, the still alive and unfazed woman swayed on the spot for but a moment, before casually swinging her bottom jaw back up and fixing it into place. Her mouth rolled and twisted as the sounds of bones cracking rang out again, indicating that a quick repair had been made.

After watching the morbid display in its full and seeing his quarry rise back up to full height, as if completely unaffected by his attack, the wide-eyed Kakashi shook his head.

"W-What the hell are you?"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

For Team Seven, their little expedition into the woods had taken a rather unexpected and nightmarish turn.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura- and even Tama- were so caught off guard by the appearance of the humanoid arachnid that they barely had enough time to assume defensive stances. Just as the blonde jinchuriki grabbed the collapsible staff at his thigh and Sasuke unlatched his holster, all three kids ended up getting slammed in the gut by the giant spider in front of them flicking her legs out and kicking them away.

Dull thuds rang out as the three kids were effortlessly swatted away by the incredibly fast spider girl, all of them giving shouts and cries of alarm as they were sent flying across the clearing. The only one who didn't get hit was Tama, who managed to leap off of Naruto's shoulder just when the boy was knocked off his feet.

While Sasuke violently slammed into the side of a distant tree and dropped to the ground, Sakura ended up tumbling across the grass several yards away before leaping onto all fours and grinding herself to a halt. At the same time Naruto crashed through a row of bushes before spinning back onto his feet and slamming them into the ground. When he dragged himself to a stop, his eyes snapped back towards the thing that'd attacked them in a clear look of surprise.

"What in the-?!" the blonde shouted, drawing his staff from his holster and cracking it to full-length. "What the heck is that?"

The moment his eyes landed on the thing that'd hit them, he, Sakura and Sasuke simultaneously did a double-take when they for themselves exactly what it was they were facing off against. At first they thought the light of the forest had been messing with them and causing them to see things. But as it turns out, the beast that'd unexpectedly gotten the drop on them from the trees- and apparently the source of the copious amounts of web in the canopy- was in fact a creature that was half-spider and half-human.

Standing taller than a horse but at about a third of its weight, the three kids saw a girl around their age, with a human upper body but a gigantic lower body of a spider. The bottom portion that made up a majority of her size belonged to that of a Black Widow- with eight, thin armored legs with pointed tips, and a pair of extra legs protruding out from where the head would be, but were attached to the top portion's hips- giving it the appearance of actual human legs. This led into the next half of the person, which belonged to a very young, normal-looking, and a very cute young girl wearing a hooded, over-sized jumper covering a pale face and white hair. Coinciding with her arachnid features, her face also had six glowing red eyes, which seemed to glare angrily back at the three children that'd entered her territory.

Feeling a little bit put-off at the sight of the odd looking beast, Sasuke reached behind him and drew a cluster of shuriken from his pouch, which he promptly fanned out between his fingers. "Okay. This day has officially gotten weird." He then leapt into the air and cocked back his arm to throw his weapons.

The second he did, the giant spider-girl's eyes turned sharply towards the airborne Uchiha, in which she was able to watch the boy hurl the metal stars straight towards her. The projectiles arced around and converged on her from multiple directions. When it looked like they were going to hit though, the spider girl sprang to the side and dodged them, allowing them to impale the floor. As soon as she landed, the arachnid then threw her hands forward and suddenly sprayed two streams of white liquid from her fingertips.

Balking in alarm when he saw the attack approaching, Sasuke quickly hiked off of the nearest branch and dove behind the tree ahead of him, just in time to avoid the jets of white liquid that splattered through the surrounding canopy. When the liquid fanned out and solidified in the branches and leaves, the viscous slime revealed itself to actually be a cluster of webs.

Upon casting the nets and missing her target, the giant spider then wheeled around when she sensed someone else attacking her from behind, and saw the tiny white fox leaping at her with an enormous blue fireball blazing from her tail. With a loud howl, the little spirit animal swung at the arachnid girl with her appendage, only for the hybrid to dodge and smack the fox with one of its front legs.

Managing to knock the animal out of the air, the demi-spider watched the white fox perform a corrective spin and land gracefully on the grass, facing her.

Before Tama could prepare another attack, the hooded spiderling inhaled sharply, before belching out a ball of green flames straight down at the animal. The alarmed white fox reacted instinctively, her body transforming into a blur as she sprang out of the way and dodged the wave of evil-looking flames as they struck the ground and incinerated the grass. Barely avoiding getting roasted, Tama landed against the side of a distant tree, before having to jump away again when a stream of web shot towards her from the spider's abdomen.

Chasing off the fox temporarily with its strange attacks, the arachnid then spun around when she sensed another figure approaching her from behind. Her red eyes glancing across the clearing, she saw Sakura charging towards her with her body low and her arms behind her. The instant she spotted the pink haired kunoichi, the spider then saw her whip her hands through the air and unleash a barrage of kunai in her direction.

Responding accordingly to the new threat, the spider girl swung her forward legs out and smacked the knives away, deflecting them throughout the woods.

This distracted the creature long enough for Sakura to spring high into the air and throw a weighted cable down at the monster, which promptly lassoed around the girl's upper body and snapped her arms to her sides when the coils tightened. The moment her limbs became trapped, the pinkette skillfully landed on the ground a few feet behind the female and, with a gutsy yell, pulled hard on the wire to bring the arachnid down.

When the spider girl stumbled to the side, a struggling Sakura then called out, "Now, Naruto!"

Exactly on cue, multiple Narutos came diving out of the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing, all of them armed with Bo staffs. Drawing their weapons back as the dozen copies converged on the spider's position, all of them then swung down at her at once- determined to take her out with one hit. However, the instant the shadow clones came within range of the creature, the arachnid- not wanting to get attacked by them- yanked hard on Sakura's wire and pulled the kunoichi clear off her feet.

"WAAAAAAAH!" the pinkette shrieked when she was thrown across the grove, prompting her to release the cable to stop herself from being slammed into a tree and instead crashed into the bushes.

The act of throwing Sakura allowed the spider girl to free herself from her bonds enough to snap the cable that was wrapped around her, before then lashing out with her multitude of limbs at the squad of Narutos diving at her from all directions. The hybrid struck out with incredible taijutsu finesse, knocking a handful of the shadow clones out of the air and taking down several more that were charging at her across the ground. In the blink of an eye, the entire group of copies were sent flying and tumbling away from their target, with a handful of them going up in smoke almost immediately, whereas those that managed to reach the edge of the clearing disappeared a few seconds later.

Wheeling around after knocking away the last clone, the spider girl spotted the real Naruto darting at her from a blind spot. Backing up when she saw the blonde speedily circle her before charging in, the spiderling thrust her hands out and fired off a barrage of web balls from her hands, which shot towards the blonde like arrows.

Spinning his staff about his body in an impressive display of skill, the jinchuriki smacked the spheres out of the air and into the surrounding brush. After dodging the last one aimed for his head, the child sprang into the air, performed a fast spin, and swung down at the spider girl with a yell. The female arachnid dodged his downward blow, leaping away to avoid him dropping down on her, before being forced to block his next series of attacks with her forward legs.

Naruto did his best to land a hit, yelling as his staff smacked against her carapace limbs from different angles. But due to the number of legs she had, the boy found landing a clean hit quite difficult, which prompted him to change tactics.

Bringing one of her sharpened limbs up, the large arachnid then attempted to drive it down on the blonde and knock him to the ground. The moment she swung down at him though, the hybrid saw the boy dodge her blow before smashing his staff into her two front legs a split second before she touched the ground, causing her to get momentarily knocked off balance when her weight was redirected.

Seeing his chance, Naruto seized it. "HA!" the jinchuriki shouted, swinging his spear back around and jabbing the spider girl in her human torso when her form was lurched forward. Hitting her square in the gut and drawing a yelp from the arachnid, the blond then spun around again and prepared to hit her across the head. "You're done!"

Spotting Naruto's incoming blow through her heightened vision however, the spider instinctively stepped back and dodged his attack- _barely_. The moment she did, the girl then thrust a hand towards the floor and fired off a stream of web, which hit Naruto's foot and wrapped it up. Simultaneously, the arachnid also launched a line of web from her other hand up into the trees, which she immediately and skillfully hooked up with the first stream.

Naruto blinked in alarm when his foot ended up stuck to the floor. "Huh? What the-GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" His surprised scream then filled the whole forest as he was abruptly pulled off the ground by the line of silk and sent straight up into the canopy above the moment the arachnid girl released the web she'd fired from her hands. This caused the blond to drop his staff as he was propelled upwards, before being left dangling upside-down a full story above the ground, his arms flailing about uselessly. "RAGH! DAMN IT!"

Hearing the boy curse as he attempted to free himself drew a smirk from the arachnid girl below, before she was suddenly kicked in the back of the head by Sasuke dropping down on her and nailing her in the crook of the neck.

The attack knocked the spider girl straight into the floor, where she landed face and upper-body first in the dirt. Quickly scrambling to her feet and spinning around, she then spotted the Uchiha rushing at her with a kunai drawn and the intense glare of his _Sharingan_ fixated squarely on her. Snarling, the spider child lashed out at him with her clawed hand, only to have the boy spring over her arm and hike off her shoulder.

Leaping clear into the air, the boy then spun and pitched the kunai down at the girl, hoping to hit her while she was staggered. But just like before, the boy could only watch as the spider sprang out of the way of the knife, her form transforming into a blur while his weapon- with a paper bomb attached to the end- embedded in the floor and detonated harmlessly.

" _It's gotten faster!"_ Sasuke thought in alarm, landing on the branch of a nearby tree and turning to face the clearing. Having lost sight of the anima, the boy's eyes darted about in an effort to track his foe. It was only the sound of heavy thumping nearby that drew his attention downwards, where he saw the spider girl climbing up to him at an alarming speed. "Whoa!" the Uchiha shouted, jumping off of the branch to avoid the spider's legs from catching him.

The entire battle was really turning into a scene from a monster movie. However, while the young members of Team 7 were struggling to keep pace with the arachnid, down below inside the rundown shack, Mako, Aoi and their two friends could only watch in awe as the ninja jumped about the trees, attacking the enormous spider that was chasing after them.

Clearly having never seen a shinobi battle before, let alone against a giant creature like this, the children were completely overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation of every move that was being made.

The spiky haired Mako could only gulp, "This… is the best birthday… ever!" He shouted this just in time to see another explosion rip through the canopy when Sasuke pitched another explosive tag at the pursuing arachnid, who managed to dodge the blast by hiding behind a thick tree branch.

Naruto meanwhile, getting a little bit fed up hanging around and doing nothing, mentally willed his scarf Aijo into life and directed his gaze downwards. "Cut it!" the blond shouted, before watching the living length of cloth stretch, grow, and then slash through the air above him at blinding speed- cutting the tough silk holding his ankle to ribbons.

The moment he was free, the jinchuriki dropped out of the air, performed an acrobatic tumble-roll, and then landed gracefully on all fours on the forest floor. Rushing over to pick up his staff, he turned toward the trees in time to see the arachnid girl smack away a cluster of shuriken thrown by Sasuke, only to then jump after the boy and smash through the branch with her forward legs, screeching as she did.

As Naruto followed the fight, he sensed Sakura sprint over to him from her end of the clearing and join him, "She's persistent. I'll give her that."

"This is crazy," the pink haired girl spoke, "What in the world is that thing? Have you ever seen anything like it before?"

"No. I haven't. But whatever it is, it's strong," Naruto replied, his grip tightening around his staff when he saw Sasuke jump off of a branch overhead before diving down to where they were. Landing on the other side of the blond, the Uchiha then rose up to a defensive stance as he watched the spider girl above them creep across the branches while hissing at them. "Despite being so big, it's extremely quick and surprisingly light on its feet. Not to mention it kicks like a damn mule."

"It can also breathe fire and shoot webs from its hands and abdomen," Sakura pointed out, while at the same time glancing over at Sasuke. "You okay?"

"I'm fine… somehow," the Uchiha shot back, while simultaneously drawing another kunai from his leg holster. "She's picking up the timing of our attacks and movements. That means she's learning."

"So she's smart, huh?" Naruto murmured while narrowing his eyes on the girl crawling about the branches above and keeping a safe distance from them. "That means we're not dealing with an ordinary animal or creature. This is something else."

"Could she… be some kind of demon?" Sakura asked, piecing together the bits and pieces of information she was given, and comparing it to what she knew. She then looked across at the blond boy and whispered to him. "Yeah. She's gotta be. An ogre or a ghoul that is half human and half spider? I think I've heard a story about a creature like that before-"

" _ **It's a Jurogumo,"**_ the firm, womanly voice of Tama spoke up, drawing the trio's attention across the grove to see the tiny white fox land nearby. After watching her scamper over and hop up onto Naruto's shoulder, they then returned their attention to the spider while she spoke to them. _**"A type of animal spirit that takes on the form of a giant, shapeshifting spider with supernatural powers. Very tough… very stealthy… and very dangerous when they're provoked."**_

Naruto blinked when he heard this. "Oh. So she can transform into a human just like you, Tama-chan?"

" _ **Yes,"**_ the kitsune nodded, before narrowing her eyes when she saw the girl spider climb a little further down the trunk of the tree in front of them, and flash her six red eyes in their direction. _**"But this one is still young… probably around eleven or twelve years old. So her abilities aren't fully developed yet."**_

"That's good to know," Sasuke commented while taking a stance. "Still… that doesn't mean taking her down is going to be an easy task." This much was obvious from how much trouble they'd been having so far.

As strong as each of them were, this multi-legged opponent was able to deflect all of their attempts at a direct attack with seemingly little difficulty. Even Naruto was having problems keeping track of her.

Frowning as she quickly thought back on what she'd witnessed so far, Sakura then nodded towards her two teammates and spoke, "We need to stop her from jumping around the place and using her legs. As long as she keeps moving about the clearing, we won't be able to beat her." Her statement had Naruto and Sasuke glance across at her momentarily, where they were able to see the expression of intent she was wearing.

"Do you have an idea?" Sasuke asked, having a gut feeling that the kunoichi strategy wizard had something in mind.

"I do," the pinkette replied, narrowing her eyes and smirking when she saw the spider girl overhead bear her fangs and hiss again. "Let's go with one of our Kakashi-sensei attack plans… the newest one. Formation E."

This quickly put smiles on Naruto and Sasuke's faces, both of whom turned back toward their target.

"Oh yeah. That'll work," the blond remarked.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Back in town, Kakashi's little investigation into Isahaya's murders had gone from cryptic to downright terrifying.

Having moved from the narrow alleyway between two convenience stores and into another road just around the next bend, the Jonin of _Konohagakure_ was now being given quite the run for his money as he attempted to fend off his bewitching ghoul of an opponent. Though he initially started off this mission as the hunter trying to track down the wolf, the entire situation had quickly devolved, and the man now found himself in the position of the prey.

And that wasn't in the metaphorical sense either.

Sporting a fresh series of new cuts on his skin and in his vest, the wounded Kakashi sprang back as fast as he could when the raven haired woman in the red kimono and lopsided surgical mask, came swinging at him with her scissors. He had to move even faster than before, because not only had the female picked up speed, but she was now armed with a pair of scissors- both looking to be as long as tantō.

Backpedaling as fast as he could down the foggy road, the Jonin brought up the kunai he had drawn and speedily deflected another series of aggressive strikes from his enemy.

Sparks flew between the pair of fighters as the sounds of clashing metal rang out across the town, with Kakashi zigzagging back and forth in an attempt to evade his opponent's deadly attacks. The ghoulish woman cackled when she saw her foe retreat even more, twirling one of her scissors about like a weapon before her body suddenly transformed into a red haze.

Both eyes widening in alarm when he saw the woman's form transform into a blur, Kakashi quickly jumped to the side to avoid the thrust of his opponent's blade aiming to impale his head. The moment he dove to the side and cartwheeled across the path, he then spun around and threw a wave of shuriken at her.

When the masked woman spun around to meet him, she ended up getting a face and body full of ninja stars, which impaled her chest and shoulders. Lurching back when the weapons embedded into her flesh, the female then gave a playful giggle before charging towards Kakashi and lunging at him with her scissors.

Recoiling in shock at seeing the woman shake off his attack, the Jonin then sprang to the side and watched the woman's scissors bury into the cement wall beside him. As a crater formed around the point o impact, Kakashi backed up as fast as he could when the woman, with a monstrous growl, dragged her scissors through the wall and chased after the Jonin. Carving right through the concrete, she took another swing at her target- pelting him with bits of rubble at the same time.

Flinching when his face got hit by a wall of debris, the silver-haired Jonin was seemingly unable to do anything when the woman drove her scissors straight into his stomach. A loud squelch echoed out when Kakashi was knocked off his feet by the woman impaling him. But just when it seemed like he took the hit, his entire body went up in a puff of smoke and was replaced by a trashcan.

Frowning when she saw her scissors had instead impaled a metal canister, the messy haired woman with the scars leading from her lips turned around when she sensed her opponent drop down from the top of the building.

Finishing on the Tiger seal after going through them in a blur, Kakashi inhaled deeply before leaning forward. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) An enormous ball of fire then ripped from his covered lips and barreled down the alleyway towards the woman, tearing through the earth and threatening to swallow up the deranged female ghoul.

But just when it looked like she was going to get hit, the masked woman's body suddenly transformed into a cloud of mist in the shape of a person, before it dissipated and blew to the side. The fireball ended up shooting down the rest of the alley before striking a far wall and detonating, taking a good chunk out of the building.

Kakashi, blinking in shock at missing his target, was unaware of the mist the woman had turned into drift into the space directly behind him and rematerialize into her. By the time he looked behind him when he heard her kimono, the Jonin barely managed to lift his arm up before he received a crushing kick to the side of the head, which threw him off his feet and slamming into the building's concrete wall beside him.

Stunned by the attack, the silver-haired fighter barely managed to stagger before he received a heel kick straight into the stomach. The blow landed with a dull crunch and sent him tumbling backwards across the floor. Grunting and yelping as he rolled, the Jonin managed to leap back to his feet and draw another kunai. As soon as his weapon was in his hand, Kakashi leapt at his opponent, meeting her responding strike from a newly drawn pair of scissors.

The pair then traded a few knife blows, lashing at each other in a fierce exchange. When the woman blocked a sideways thrust from him with her arm, she then lifted her foot and swiftly kicked Kakashi's knife out of his hand. Stumbling away and watching his weapon impale the wall several yards away, the Jonin then looked back at his opponent in alarm.

It was a good thing he did too, because the instant his eyes landed on the grinning woman, he saw her swing her hands through the air and unleash a barrage of rusty scissors directly at him. "DIE!" The bladed weapons shot towards Kakashi like a wall of kunai, threatening to impale him.

Seeing her mimic one of his attacks prompted the Jonin to fly through hand seals, before dropping down and slamming his palms into the floor. _**"Doton: Doryūheki!"**_ (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall) The instant he dropped, the ground in front of him jutted upwards, as barrier composed of bricks and bulldog statues appeared in front of him. As a result, the scissors ended up impaling the wall instead of their intended target- but still managed to bury themselves pretty deep into the surface.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief when he blocked the attack. But his relief was short-lived when he heard the echo of a giggle in front of him and looked up in alarm when he saw a mass of fog phase through the rock and billow around him. His eyes tracking the mist that surrounded him, the Jonin suddenly saw his invisible foe materialize directly behind him and, just before he could put up his guard, received a heavy kick to his stomach, which slammed him into the very wall he'd erected to protect himself.

His back cracking against the stone and punching a sizable divot into its surface, Kakashi literally had the air knocked out of his lungs, moments before something metallic pierced through them. Gasping through his mask, the Jonin then stood there with his eyes wide in shock as he found himself staring into the grinning, scarred face of his beautiful raven haired attacker, who'd managed to impale him through the chest with a pair of rusty scissors.

The long blades, having gone all the way through Kakashi's body, were also sticking into the stone wall behind him- effectively nailing the man to the wall.

As the shinobi stood there, choking on his own blood, he peered up at the woman through a slowly blurring vision and wheezed in a pained voice, "W-What… in the world… are you?"

In all his life he'd never encountered an opponent like this one before. Not only was she displaying skills and techniques that were completely new and frightening to the seasoned shinobi, but she was also relentless in her attacks, incredibly vicious, and faster than anything the Jonin could remember ever running into. Due to her aggressive method of attacking and her unnatural durability, she apparently didn't fear for her life while fighting, meaning every attack she attempted was both risky and dangerous. She was also blunting any counter she received- including ones with enough force to pierce through flesh- and could teleport around the battlefield in a mist-like form, allowing her to phase through barriers and get behind targets before they even realized she was there.

It was like Kakashi was fighting against the wind itself.

What's more, it also appeared like she was getting stronger as the battle dragged on.

In response to his pained question, the raven haired female sneered at Kakashi, with the scars on the corners of her lips curling upwards into a more sinister grin. "I am grief… I am malice… I am hatred. I am the sorrow of every living person in this world given physical form… cursed to roam the lands until my final judgement has been fulfilled," the woman hissed, her head tilting to the side as her wide, dilated eyes- filled with madness and rage- glared back into the Jonin's waning ones. "But to _you_ … I am the one who decides your end. I am _**Kuchisake Onna**_." (Slit-Mouthed Woman)

Coughing out one last gasp of air, Kakashi then smirked up at her through his mask. "I see. So in other words… you're the woman who's going to be my death? Is that it?"

"That's right," the woman breathed, at the same time reaching up to fully undo her mask and reveal her mangled face to the Jonin. When she did, the fangs lining her mouth suddenly seemed to lengthen almost at will, which further accentuated the very deranged and gleefully sadistic expression she was currently wearing. "Now then, handsome. Before we conclude this little one-night-stand of ours, you still need to answer my question." Kuchisake then inhaled deeply as she leaned closer to the dying shinobi. "Am I _pretty_? Or not?"

Kakashi, giving the woman a bit of a pause, then murmured thoughtfully. "Hmm… how's this for an answer?"

Before the ghost could even respond, a loud squelch filled the air and a surprised expression overtook her face when, out of nowhere, a hand sheathed in electricity unexpectedly jutted out of her chest. Freezing on the spot as lightning shot off of the limb, Kuchisake then watched through a stunned haze as the man she'd previously had impaled against the wall crumbled away- revealing himself to be nothing but a rock clone.

Following the lightning incased limb to the area behind her, she saw a winded Kakashi standing there and glaring at her from behind her shoulder. Having managed to switch himself out with a clone in order to avoid being impaled by her scissors, the Jonin now felt he held the advantage, as he stood there with his signature _**Raikiri**_ (Lightning Blade) sticking through the woman's chest.

"The jury's still out." As the man's jutsu crackled away in the misty night air, Kakashi glared into the woman's blood red eyes and said to her, "And that's it. You're done." He'd managed to utterly destroy her heart and left lung. There was no way she was going to push through this, even if she was able to tank a majority of his previous attacks.

Her body twitching momentarily as she continued to stand there in what seemed like a state of complete shock and pain, Kuchisake then gave a couple of shallow gasps before her entire upper body slumped over. Feeling her form go limp around his arm, the Jonin assumed he'd finally killed the assassin and breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, just as he was about to withdraw his hand from the female's back, the shinobi's expression suddenly took on a veil of disbelief when he heard the woman begin to giggle in front of him.

The corpse wrapped around his arm started to shake with amusement as the ghoulish assassin's head remained dipped - her face hidden from view by her fringe as her snickers transformed into full blown laughter. After letting out a few cackles that had her chest shift along Kakashi's arm in a gruesome manner, the woman then straightened up, threw her head back, and spoke up in a hoarse voice- or more like three voices at once.

"You think so, huh?" she hissed.

Just when Kakashi thought his encounter couldn't become anymore horrifying, amidst the black mist now starting to rise off of the ghost's shoulders, the Jonin recoiled in alarm when the woman's face suddenly spun around to face him with a sickening crunch. More squelching sounds rang out when the woman's limbs literally twisted and contorted about, which ended with her grabbing the man's arm that was sticking into her back and holding it tight. As soon as she had him, she then raised her other hand with the scissors in it and prepared to stab down into the shinobi's chest.

Obviously alarmed at seeing the woman's limbs and head twist around to confront him, the Jonin quickly charged up a second Raikiri in his free arm and, with a quick swipe, chopped off the woman's arm that was holding him and yanked his limb free. He managed to jump back just in time to avoid the stab of her blade, which then led to him springing to a safe distance with a cold sweat pouring down his face.

" _That's… impossible,"_ Kakashi thought, unable to believe what he was seeing when he saw the ghoulish female stagger forward. In a morbid display of body defying physics, her chest and torso twisted around to face the same direction her other limbs were. Once this was corrected, the black smoke surrounding her form aided in sealing up the massive hole in her body- the organs growing back before the skin and clothes also regenerated. Furthermore, the arm she had lost also repaired itself, starting with the bones, then the muscles, and then the flesh. Soon the woman had completely healed from her grievous injuries and was standing before the shocked Jonin while emitting her menacing black haze. _"She shouldn't even be alive right now. What the heck is going on?"_

The situation had once again escalated another several degrees. In Kakashi's own professional opinion, this job was no longer a simple A-Rank murder investigation and beast capture. No. This entire thing had just evolved into an S-Rank, monster-slaying nightmare, and considering the foe he was now up against and the capabilities she'd displayed so far, the man had no idea what to do.

For the first time in all his years of service as a shinobi, he was at a complete loss. Since killing this woman wasn't working, it meant the Jonin had to come up with a different strategy… and fast.

"Hold it right there you two!" another, new voice suddenly called out, startling Kakashi and prompting him to look behind him.

When the Jonin's gaze shifted over his shoulder, he saw a group of law enforcement officers- all dressed in samurai robes and armed with swords and lanterns- quickly fan out into a defensive row on the road. Watching them draw their respective weapons, the shinobi then looked back at the ghost woman, where he saw a second squad of samurai armed with bows and spears block the road behind her, and take up battle-ready stances.

The head officer, a man wearing an eboshi hat with a golden fire emblem on his robes, blinked when he saw Kakashi- badly bruised and slashed in several places- standing there and facing off against the pale woman. "What's going on over here, shinobi?!" the samurai called out, before raising the lantern he was carrying to better see through the fog and narrowing his eyes on the figure in front of the Jonin. "Is that the beast?!"

Kakashi, looking more alarmed than ever despite the presence of the soldiers, glared back at the samurai behind him and shouted, "ALL OF YOU! GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW! IT'S NOT SAFE!"

When the group of enforcers glanced at one another in confusion and prepared to ask the shinobi _why_ , the sound of the woman cackling had every single person shift their attention to her. The moment their eyes set upon the female, they saw that the black mist rising off of her shoulders had started to grow and glow red with heat. Despite having her body slumped over and the top half of her face covered by her fringe, the murderous grin that Kuchisake was currently wearing could still be seen by all the people gathered in front of her.

Killing intent from the phantom started to flood the entire alleyway, causing Kakashi to edge away and the samurai blocking the road on both ends of the lane to start shaking in fright. As the black mist wafting off of its host crept towards them like the tentacles of a nightmarish fiend, the phantom woman took a lumbering step forward and leered murderously towards her primary target.

As more samurai from the nearby adjoining roads rushed to the scene to reinforce the formation of troops already present, Kakashi and the platoon of police then watched in morbid shock as the woman's body began to twitch and shudder. The bloodcurdling sounds of bones crunching echoed through the whole area- the mist surrounding Kuchisake turning blood red as a pair of boney, flesh-like appendages shot out of her back and arched over her shoulders like a pair of mantis claws. A second set of appendages also joined them, creeping and stretching out behind her, before fanning out into a pair of bat-like wings several times her size. Accompanying this startling transformation, her skin paled, black veins appeared all over it, her arms also lengthened, and her fingernails grew to about thirty centimeters in length- sharpening to that of blades. When her face thinned and teeth lengthened to that of actual fangs, the woman's hair unraveled from its top bun and flopped down over her head, enhancing her macabre appearance as she completed her metamorphosis.

Hissing as her body finished modifying itself, the red-eyed woman gave a deeper, more animalistic growl as she locked her glare on Kakashi once more- who took a big, shaky step back in response. Despite holding a kunai at the ready, the rattling of metal could still be heard as the Jonin shook from head to toe, as the killing intent now radiating off of the woman started to overwhelm him.

Right now, Kakashi felt he was no longer staring down a normal human girl. Right now, it was almost like he was facing off against an enraged biju that was ready to eviscerate him at any moment.

This much became apparent as Kuchisake, still enveloped in black smoke, stretched out her newly grown wings and growled in a much lower, monstrous voice- one that was emphasized by the veins inside her body visibly lighting up a hot orange, _**"If you acknowledge any Gods… START PRAYING NOW!"**_

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Two demons in one village? Hmm. Both of them very famous creatures from Japanese history and lore. Looks like Team 7 has their work cut out for them.

For those of you who are wondering why I'm focusing a lot of time on this story in particular, it's because this was the story I originally wanted to write before I wrote _**Drifting**_.

If you're familiar with my other account **AlphaDelta1001** , I originally wrote the fics **Nightwalker** and **The Art of Appropriation** (I know, stupid title) before I wrote _Drifting_. _Nightwalker_ was something I wrote back in highschool that I thought seemed pretty cool, since it adapated stuff from Assassin's Creed and Black Lagoon into it. _The Art of Appropriation_ though was supposed to be my attempt at a smarter fic that incorporated historical elements and characters from different countries, but then transformed into a multi-crossover fic when I saw people didn't really get the historical stuff (don't know why, but I figure this being the internet age, readers would be a bit more inclined to research a little out of curiosity). The last one ended a complete failure, while Nightwalker proved a bit more successful, though I don't know why since in looking back at the story, I now think it's complete garbage.

 _Drifting_ ended up being the most successful fanfic I ever wrote, and I am still writing it. However, _Ronin_ was the idea I originally wanted to publish with _The Art of Appropriation_ and is something I've had years thinking about getting restarted, only this time I'm sticking to the Naruto-lore rather than making it a crossover. This fanfiction is much more refined and grounded than the last one, and much more thought out.

Let me know what you guys think.


	17. Demon Hunt Arc - Where Children Toil

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Where Children Toil_

(Meanwhile)

A loud hiss filled the forest as the Jorogumo Team 7 was facing off against dove at them from the trees above, its legs extended and poised to knock them all down and trap them beneath her weight. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura however, anticipating the move, broke ranks and sprang away as fast as they could, with Tama leaping towards the shack to protect the little children that were gathered inside it. She stood in front of the entrance with her tail up and the blue flame at the end flickering brightly- her eyes tracking the spider's landing and the trio who were fighting it.

While the giant spider girl slammed down into the clearing and growled when she realized she'd missed, her red eyes then attempted to track one of the kids. But the moment she looked up, Sakura- spinning through the air, threw a couple of kunai laced with paper balls towards the spider girl. Though the young Jorogumo managed to deflect the knives, the balls at the ends exploded early and flooded the entire clearing with a thick white smoke, which caused the spider girl to start choking and coughing on the fumes.

Distracted, the human spider was unable to spot Naruto landing against a tree on the edge of the grove, before leaping up towards the canopy with lightning quick speed. "Nice one, Sakura-chan!" the blond shouted, landing upside-down against the highest branch, before kicking off of it and diving straight down at the arachnid in a blur. His launch from the canopy caused a sonic boom to ring out, as the boy with the staff dove towards the adolescent Jorogumo knee-first with his trademark, signature move. _**"Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee) The speed his knee traveled caused the point of his limb to glow a hot orange, showing just how much faster he'd gotten.

The sharp eyes of the spider barely gave the girl time to swing her arms up and catch the blow, which slammed into her with such force that her entire body almost buckled under the attack. The resulting impact generated a shockwave that punched a crater into the floor, parted the smoke screen, and sent the Jorogumo flying off her eight legs.

At the exact moment the blond launched his opponent and broke through her guard, the scarf wrapped around his neck suddenly unraveled, flew through the air like an arrow, and then smacked into the spider girl's face before wrapping around it in an instant. The arachnid's surprised yelp was muffled by the cloth as it started to restrict her, the act of which causing the blind demon to stumble away in alarm while trying to rip it off.

"Sakura-chan! Net her!" Naruto called out when he landed.

"Right!" the pinkette called out, sprinting around the clearing and beginning to unload kunai across the grove left, right and center. Pitching the blades from her hands in rapid succession one after the other, the kunoichi started hitting random trees and branches across the way, almost seemingly without rhyme or reason.

As it turns out, each of the kunai she launched was tied to a length of ninja wire, which she began filling the space around them and their target. Several seconds later and after completing a full lap of the area, Sakura had covered the entire grove with taut, crisscrossing wires, all of which came together to effectively net up the space, and keep their hybrid of an opponent contained within the clearing.

After several fruitless attempts to remove the cloth thrashing about on top of her head and whipping her head about, the young Jorogumo managed to get her fingers under it and pull it away. When the scarf gave one last hard yank on the arachnid, it quickly unraveled and flew right back to its owner, speedily wrapping around Naruto's neck as he sprang to the edge of the perimeter of their battle area.

When the spider girl glared back at him, she then noticed the wires strung up across the entire clearing, which had her recoil in alarm.

"Now!" the blond jinchuriki shouted, clapping his hands together into a hand seal around his Bo staff.

In that moment, Sasuke, who'd managed to loop his wires and adjoin them with Sakura's, gritted the ones he had in his teeth and gave a hard pull to the ones he had feeding through his hands. His arms snapped back on the invisible cables, which caused a chain reaction throughout the grove.

A series of barely visible flashes filled the air as every single wire cast by Sakura suddenly tightened all at once and coiled towards the Jorogumo. While the kunoichi had managed to place herself outside of the net just like her Uchiha teammate, Naruto still remained inside the area of effect. However, the instant the wires from the trap hit him, his body went up in a puff of smoke and was promptly replaced by a tree log. After his replacement ended up getting chopped to pieces, the threads then flew towards the spider girl.

The young demon gave a yelp of alarm as she got hit by the wave of lines and thrown off her feet towards one of the trees behind her, where she instantly became thrust up against the trunk and bound to its side. Growling loudly as she fought against the newly erected bonds, the Jorogumo attempted to force herself free, only for the wires to tighten on all sides.

The reason being was that- aside from Sasuke- Sakura and a squad of Naruto clones had also gotten a hold of the threads, and were now doing their very best to keep the arachnid spirit where she was. At the same time, the Uchiha adolescent positioned himself on a tree directly in front of their target, his Sharingan activated, with the lines he was holding leading directly down to their trapped quarry.

"Remember, Sasuke! Don't kill her!" the original shouted from where he was clutching a wire. "Just knock her out!"

"I know!" Sasuke shouted, flying through hand seals before inhaling sharply. _**"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique) The moment the boy breathed out, a blast of flames tore from his mouth and filled the air in front of him. Taking the shape of waves resembling the wings of a flying beast, the inferno then charged down the lines of wire leading from the Uchiha towards the arachnid girl, whose eyes widened in horror before she was struck headlong by the torrent of flames.

The area around the tree- including the trunk itself- instantly caught fire and lit up, the area glowing a bright orange as the ground was seared by the sheer intensity of the attack. During which time the Jorogumo girl gave a scream of pain, which filled the entire area for several full seconds, before the flames leading from Sasuke died out and the boy ceased feeding chakra into his technique. Seeing as how she also used fire, the Uchiha had made sure to use enough to shake her up.

Remaining where they were, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura waited for the fires to die out. Upon which the blond shadow clones dispelled, and the members of Team 7 jumped back down into the clearing where a dark black patch had been scorched into the area the jutsu had taken effect. As the trio assembled in front of the tree where their foe was still stuck up against, the spiky haired blonde turned towards the shack sitting several yards away and spoke up.

"It's okay. You guys can come out now," the jinchuriki called out.

He didn't have to wait long for an answer, as Tama and the children she was guarding had all been watching from the club house's entrance. Slowly and cautiously the group exited the wooden, rundown building and made their way over to where the squad was standing.

When they arrived, all eyes locked onto the trunk where the giant spider girl had been thrust up and set on fire. At first the team of Genin couldn't help but cringe, as at first it looked as though Sasuke's attack had burned the creature black. However, after watching the encrusted body for several moments, Naruto and his friends were immediately put on guard when the sound of cracking rang out, before bits of black charcoal fell away from the frozen body.

When more carapace started to fall away, it quickly revealed that the young Jorogumo had encased herself in some sort of protective, gold wax, which she had secreted from her body to guard herself against the flames out of instinct. After it all crumbled away seconds later and the wires around the body snapped, the Jorogumo fell forward onto the burnt grass, revealing the half-human, half-spider girl was still alive, well, but incredibly shaken up.

"P-P-Please…" the spider girl stuttered as she knelt there on the ground on all eight of her limbs- arms crossed over her human upper body as she looked fearfully between the three Genin standing in front of her. The collective group's expressions quickly transformed from serious to saddened when they saw the obviously terrified look in the girl's six red eyes, and heard the tremors in her soft voice, "N-No more. No more."

While Sasuke removed his hand from his kunai holster and Sakura sheathed her blade, Naruto snapped his staff into a closed position and slipped it back into his holder. With his hands empty, the blond moved forward with his hands raised in a reassuring manner. "It's okay. It's alright. We're not gonna hurt you." When he moved forward and saw the spider girl edge away with a whimper, he then noticed something else about her defeated state.

Though her body had remained expectantly unscathed from the fire, the hooded jumper she'd been wearing had ended up incinerated, leaving the white-haired demon completely naked.

"Oh. Problem," Sasuke remarked, while quickly looking to the side in an embarrassed manner.

"Hang on. I got it," Naruto said, removing his white and blue jacket. He then stepped over to the girl and, after calming her with a few soothing gestures and whispers, put his jacket over her shoulders and zipped it closed once she'd gotten her arms through. "There. That's better," the boy said with a smile, while backing away to give the arachnid girl some breathing space.

When he did, the members of Team 7 and the children from the village were finally able to get a much better look at the creature that'd been living in these woods.

While she'd had her hood pulled up and had been standing at full height, the spider girl had been quite enormous and intimidating. However, now that she'd been brought to ground and had the sense quite literally burned back into her, she didn't appear scary at all. Aside from her immense, monstrous lower body, the Jorogumo looked like just another ordinary girl. Her short white hair, which was styled in a Bob cut, parted away from her face in a cute manner, allowing the group to see the young, pretty face she had underneath.

As she looked between the children uncertainly, she displayed all the signs of vulnerability needed to indicate that she was beat and terrified- as she had no idea what was going to happen to her now. The sight actually made feel Naruto and Sakura a little sad, with Sasuke still looking at her with his usual cool scowl.

"Wow," Mako's friend murmured when he got a good look at the spider girl. "Your secret friend really was _real_."

"I told you," the spiky haired youngster replied, at the same time grinning broadly at his little club of friends. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

It was at that point the little boy's sister bent over with her hands on her knees, as she then beamed across at the spider girl. "You're really strong, Spider-chan. I didn't know you could fight just like a ninja could."

Blinking, the six-eyed hybrid lowered her head and whispered, "I… I was just… trying to scare them away. That's all."

Sasuke tilted his head when he looked down at the young demon, who then looked across at him when she realized she was being analyzed. "So… what exactly is this girl's deal? Why was she living near this rundown shack so close to the village? Shouldn't she be living somewhere a little bit more discreet?"

" _ **Places like this make for an ideal habitat for a Jorogumo,"**_ the white fox Tama spoke up again, drawing Team 7's and the children's attention to the kitsune, who hopped back up onto Naruto's shoulder to look down at the arachnid girl. _ **"Full grown spider demons can often be found wandering around human settlements- usually in abandoned buildings, caves, and large trees. Places like that little shack over there make the perfect nest for this kind of spirit."**_

"A nest?" Sakura repeated, at the same time sparing a glance across at the children's club house and seeing the webs strewn all over it.

"Wait. Are you saying that there are _more_ of these things running around?" Sasuke asked while looking across at the very knowledgeable white fox on his teammate's shoulder, who Naruto was also giving his utmost attention. Putting aside the fact that she was quite special herself, this was actually the first time the Uchiha remembered hearing the little kitsune… _talking_.

Honestly, he would've been more surprised if he hadn't figured out early on that she wasn't a normal animal. Sasuke always thought of her as just a very clever, wild animal with several unique abilities- akin to a summon or a battle companion like the dogs of the _Inuzuka Clan_. But hearing her actually speaking to them in a very human voice, she was clearly something else entirely.

But those were questions for a later date.

Hearing the boy's question prompted the fox to elaborate further. _**"A long time ago, before the Sage of Six Paths came into this world, there were hundreds of Jorogumo roaming the woods outside of villages and towns. At first no one seemed to pay them any mind and let them be. But then the humans inhabiting the regions started hunting them down and killing them, because they came to believe that these demons were dangerous,"**_ Tama informed, her tail swishing about behind Naruto's head.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are they?" He was of course still referring to the girl that they'd just fought and beaten, which was made obvious when he looked down at the arachnid and saw her edge away a little.

" _ **Despite their insidious appearance, most Jorogumo don't attack humans… at least in most cases. They are just very misunderstood,"**_ Tama said while looking across at the Uchiha. _**"The reason humans came to fear them so much was because of how they looked, as well as the stories that spread that told of how giant spiders were kidnapping people and dragging them back to their lairs for food. In actuality, Jorogumo only feed on small rodents, birds and other marsupials, and very rarely attack people. The only times a spirit like this responds aggressively in any way to a person is when they're either provoked or something intrudes on their territory with the intent of causing them harm."**_

"Hmm… I guess that explains why she attacked us then," Naruto added, as he and his team were clearly standing in a part of the woods that would be considered the spider girl's home.

From her point of view, they must've looked like they'd come into the forest with the aim of hunting her, when in truth they were there for an entirely different reason altogether. It was only unfortunate timing that led to them confronting the girl and getting into a fight with her, which was how they ended up here.

"Nobody likes someone breaking into their home," the blond concluded, earning a nod of agreement from Sasuke.

" _ **Adult Jorogumo can be very territorial. You see, all spider spirits of this type are born female… and when they reach a certain age they often enter human settlements looking for a mate,"**_ Tama said, looking across at the kids to see them all looking at her intently. _**"When a Jorogumo gives birth, she often raises the child in its nest, and whenever anything comes close to her home, they would attack. This was probably what helped make people afraid of them in the first place- their protective nature."**_

Sakura, taking in the information that she was being given, then looked at the spider girl curiously. "That's… actually quite sad."

"Such is life," Naruto sighed, at the same time crossing his arms as he considered the young arachnid in front of them. "When people have no knowledge of something, they become scared of it. They hate, fear, or make assumptions about things they don't know or understand, and most don't even bother to find out about the things they have no knowledge of. Though people want to deny it, shit like that still happens. I should know…" His statement had Sakura and Sasuke look across at him, in which they were able to see the disappointed glimmer in his eye.

After weighing his teammate's words in his head, Sasuke then looked back at the spider girl still kneeling on the floor before them. "So what do we do with this one? We can't very well just leave her here."

"Yeah," Sakura murmured, at the same time placing a hand on her hip. "If the villagers find out that the children are coming out to the woods to meet up with a spider girl, even though she's friendly, they still might end up sending in hunters to track her down and kill her. And Kami knows how many people might get hurt if that happens."

Naruto, kneeling down in front of the white-haired girl, looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Hey. Are you the only one living out here? Where's your mother?" the blond asked softly.

Still looking confused, the young spider spirit turned to the jinchuriki. When she saw his soft smile on her and felt the warmth radiating from his person, the white-haired, eight-legged female gulped before shaking her head. "I… I don't know where mum went." She then looked across at Sakura and the other children. "She went away one day to get food… a-and never came home."

Hearing the young demon girl say this in such a sad and vulnerable voice caused the group's hearts to tighten a little. Even Sasuke appeared visibly effected when he heard the waver in the child's voice. Despite being on the receiving end of her aggression for the majority of their encounter with her, after learning of her species' origins from Tama and learning a bit more about their culture, the group couldn't help but view the arachnid with a more open heart and mind.

She may be scary looking when in battle mode. But outside of it, she just seemed like another ordinary child. As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.

Giving it a moment of thought, Naruto then took on a resolute look and, standing up, turned to his teammates assertively. "Well… I guess… she can come back to Konoha with us."

Blank looks came over Sasuke and Sakura's faces. They were so blank in fact that the two of them looked like their souls had left their bodies for a full ten seconds. When color returned to their faces moments later, the first one to speak up was the Uchiha.

"Uhh… come again, dobe?" the raven haired boy spoke.

"You want to take her with us… back home?" the pinkette followed up, completely taken aback by the delinquent's statement. "To the hidden leaf?"

"Sure. I mean… it's not like she's a citizen of Isahaya or anything like that. As far as the rest of the village is concerned, she doesn't even exist," Naruto continued, stepping over to the spider girl and looking down at her. When he saw her confused eyes focus on him again, the whiskered youngster gave her a grin. "Besides. It's our duty as shinobi of _Konohagakure_ and members of the _Land of Fire's_ defense force to provide aid to all those who need it. Why should _she_ be any different?"

While Sakura didn't need much convincing on that point to see where Naruto was coming from with this, apparently Sasuke wasn't too on board. And with good reason. "You do realize that not everyone in our village is as understanding of other people's differences as we are, right?" The Uchiha then nodded across to his rival when he saw him turn to him. "I mean, Sakura, I and your other friends might be fine with ethnic and cultural diversity. But most of the other citizens are scared of _you_ because you supposedly have the Kyuubi sealed inside of you. How do you think they're going to react when they see you walking a half-girl, half-spider through the front gates and to your house?"

"If they have a problem, they are more than happy to take it up with me," Naruto stated confidently, at the same time bringing up a fist and smashing it against his chest. "I for one won't be able to live with myself if I just left this little one out here all on her own to get hunted down by a bunch of farmers with pitchforks and hoes. She's coming with us and that is that. We can worry about the little details later."

Staring back at his teammate for several more seconds and seeing the unflinching look he had in play, Sasuke then breathed a heavy sigh before turning away with his hands in his pockets. "Do whatever you want. I'm not going to stop you…" Not like he would be able to anyway.

He knew full well that whenever Naruto had his mind set on something, he would see it through to the end, whether it was through hell or high water. Those who ended up standing in his way always ended up in either hospital or incapacitated for several days.

Sakura, when she saw the boy grin at the spider girl, then put on a smile of her own and stepped towards him. "You have a good heart, Naruto-kun."

While Naruto gave his kunoichi companion a smile in response, he then turned to Mako and the other children standing nearby. Seeing the slightly confused looks on their faces, the blond then turned to them fully and straightened up- so as to come off as more professional. "Hey. Sorry about this you guys, but we're going to have to take Spider-chan back to _Konohagakure_ with us." He then raised a hand when he saw them about to say something. "As much as we'd like to leave her here, if your parents find out that you're sneaking out to the middle of the forest to hang out with a demon, they might end up doing something bad to her."

" _ **Aww…"**_ Mako, Aoi and their friends all said at once. After that the birthday boy's sister then spoke up. "Does she really have to go?"

"M-My sister and I can take care of her," Mako said, at the same time walking up to the blond and looking up at the child with a firm look on his face. He then pushed out his chest, so that he could appear more grown up to the Genin. "Yeah. In fact, all four of us can. We'll feed her, train her, give her clothes, and play with her every day, our here in the woods."

When Naruto gave an amused chuckle, a carefully listening Sakura walked over to the children and leant towards them. "She's not a lost puppy. You guys know that, right?" the pinkette asked, at the same time gesturing towards their eight-legged former opponent. "Spider-chan here is a very… _special_ kind of person. If she doesn't get proper food, clothes, and people to take care of her, she might end up in a pretty bad way when she grows older. Since she doesn't have a mum or dad to look after her, if she keeps wandering around the forest, she might end up in a lot of trouble if she runs into another person or a dangerous animal. Would you be able to take care of her if she got hurt or sick?"

Looking the kunoichi in the eyes for several moments, both Mako and Aoi lowered their heads. "N-No," the boy muttered in disappointment.

"Then it's probably best that you let _us_ take care of her," Sakura said in a gentle voice, at the same time reaching up to pet the older boy on the head. "Don't worry. We promise we won't hurt your friend."

"You can trust us," Naruto said, at the same time stepping towards the kunoichi with his hands on his hips and a gutsy spark in his eye. "We are elite ninja from _Konohagakure_! The best of the best! It is our job to protect the innocent and to help our people, dattebayo!" The way he said these last bits in such a deep and dramatic tone of voice was almost akin to a superhero reading these lines. Understandably, while the dialogue did have Sasuke roll his eyes, the children in front of the blond fighter couldn't help but feel their chests swell with awe at the adolescent's display of gallantry.

Even Sakura giggled a little at the delinquent's attempt at entertaining the children.

Feeling pretty damn good with himself at this point, Naruto turned his attention back to the adolescent Jorogumo and offered her a hand. "Here." When the spider girl looked between his palm and him a couple of times, she then shyly reached forward, took his hand, and was promptly pulled to her feet. Though clumsy at first, the arachnid demon was eventually hauled back into a standing position.

Though not as tall as she was when she was fighting the group, she still managed to have the members of Team 7 and the children from the village look up at her. Even Tama was forced to crane her head at how high the young creature stood above them.

In spite of her height, the white-haired Jorogumo still took on the posture of someone who was nervous, as evident by her hands being folded in front of her and her head bowed low in a timid display. Heck, when she saw Sasuke and Sakura staring at her in awe, the jittery spider hilariously tried to hide behind Naruto's back, who only laughed when he felt the girl press her face into his shoulder.

"It's alright. You don't need to be afraid of us," the blond said reassuringly, which gave the spider girl courage to move out from behind him. "Man, even though you were kicking our asses several minutes ago, you're actually quite shy, aren't you?" Earning a nod from the arachnid in return, Naruto chuckled and turned back to his teammates. "Oh well. Now that our afternoon workout is over and done with, we should probably finish up with our-"

Before he could finish addressing his friends on the subject of their mission, the delinquent was suddenly cut off from his banter by the sound of a low rumbling, which rolled into their area from the surrounding forest. Eyes blinking in confusion, the group of miscellaneous children standing in the middle of the grove looked around at one another in alarm- unsure of what that sound was or where it came from. Their eyes and ears widening as a result, the kids then waited a couple more minutes before another series of reverberations took place, which quickly pulled their attention in the direction of the mountain path.

"Huh? What was that?" the little Mako asked, a question that was shared by the rest of his friends.

Sakura narrowed her eyes on the tree line, "It sounded like… explosions?"

"Yeah. Big ones," Sasuke agreed, his own brow creasing as he honed in on the echoes. "I can feel the vibrations from here."

Naruto clenched his fists as he plotted the distance and location of the noises. "They're coming from the village."

This statement quickly had the three Genin look at one another in alarm. Realizing that something was probably happening down in Isahaya and that their teacher was probably involved with it somehow, Naruto quickly formed a cross-fingered hand seal and produced a squad of shadow clones. The moment his copies popped into existence, three of them gathered up the younger kids, at the same time Sasuke and Sakura sprang into the forest canopy and began flying towards the town.

Naruto and his clones followed, along with the spider girl- whom the original jinchuriki stuck next to as the group started leaping through the trees towards the town.

"WOOOH! AWESOME!" Mako cheered, throwing his arms out in front of him when he felt the rushing of the wind against his face as his carrier Naruto sprang through the canopy. Despite being held under the Genin's arm, the blond was still able to move quite easily. "HAHAHA! Go faster! FASTER!"

With Tama also leaping with the group, Sakura moved up alongside the Naruto clone carrying Aoi under his arm and spoke to him.

"Do you think Kakashi-sensei found the beast that's been attacking the people in the village?" the pinkette asked, clearly trying to make sense of what they'd just heard.

The delinquent glanced at her momentarily before speaking with a serious lilt in his voice, "If he has… then it must be a pretty damn big beast."

Especially if they could hear the explosions of a supposed battle taking place all the way out here in the woods. As the trio and their charges moved through the canopy as fast as they could, the members of Team 7 couldn't help but wonder what was going on back in Isahaya.

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Back in the mountain village that was seated right on the curve of one of its many outflowing rivers, things had spiraled into complete chaos. The mysterious white mist that'd fallen over the town and rendered all of the people wandering around outside completely blind, had brought forth a very powerful and frightening foe.

Unlike other accidents and disasters that were more often associated with foggy conditions, this force took the form of an aggressive demon, which just minutes ago had been locked in a one on one battle with Kakashi Hatake. When the samurai police enforcers that were on patrol around the village picked up on the sounds of battle that were taking place and tracked the pair to a wide alleyway behind a line of shops, the men quickly readied themselves to apprehend the maniacal fiend. As befitting their roles, they were determined to put an end to its spree of killings once and for all.

This was when things took a turn for the worse. The moment she realized she was surrounded, the bewitching murderess responsible for the string of grizzly events that'd transpired in Isahaya over the last few weeks, underwent a startling and spine chilling transformation. Sprouting a pair of wings and elongated claws on both hands, the seemingly delicate yet determined phantom took on a more beastly, inhuman form. As soon as she did, her first and immediate act was to slaughter every single police man that'd arrived at the scene of her confrontation, which she did in the span of only a few seconds. After that, she then continued her dogged pursuit of the Jonin that was originally the target of her next killing.

Needless to say, Kakashi Hatake was not in an okay place right now. This much became obvious when the woman took flight into the night sky above the town and began raining down on the shinobi with dozens of weird yet terrifyingly powerful attacks.

The first few waves were straight forward, consisting of several dives and swooping attacks from a high angle, which forced the rattled Kakashi to dodge every time. The speed at which she reached these attacks caused a sonic boom to ring out and her body to transform into a barely discernible black haze, which the Jonin could barely follow through his Sharingan. After getting clipped a couple of times, the man then responded by throwing shuriken and kunai up at the bat.

Seeing her opponent was still alive and kicking, the female demon then switched up her tactics. While maintaining an advantage in the sky, she began manifesting thick black clouds of fog, which took the form of several flocks of winged creatures similar to bats. After which she would then sent these masses of energy streaming down at the Jonin, which tore through every single building and obstacle they ended up colliding with.

The destruction brought on by this new wave of attacks drew the attention of the rest of the police forces on duty, who quickly began evacuating the houses and establishments in the vicinity, before joining Kakashi to confront the beast. But just like the men and women before them, many of the brave warriors were quickly cut to shreds by the airborne demon, who cackled ecstatically at the amount of carnage she was now bringing about to the region.

After effortlessly demolishing an entire block of stores and restaurants, the woman then started using more unconventional attacks to try and cut down her target. When Kakashi was forced into the main road in order to get a better view of his airborne foe, she promptly dropped directly on top of his position at terminal velocity and punched a massive crater into the ground that knocked the Jonin clear off his feet. The moment the shinobi was sent tumbling down the road like a rag doll, Kuchisake began gathering a mass of hot, liquid red energy beneath her hands, which warped and bubbled into a steaming pool of chakra inside the small fissure she'd formed.

Not willing to let her finish her technique, the badly damaged and near exhausted Kakashi formed a second _**Raikiri**_ (Lightning Blade) in his right hand and charged at her like a lightning bolt, before promptly impaling her through the neck and slicing her head clean off. The moment her blood splattered through the air in the wake of the Jonin's impressive dash, the silver-haired man then watched in disbelief as the blood quickly got sucked back into her severed neck like it was a magnet, and her head promptly melded back to her shoulders.

The instant she regenerated from the clearly fatal attack, the raven haired woman gave a mad cackle before, standing up to full height, she let out an ear-piercing howl. Her scream was accompanied by a full-body shockwave that ripped across the district like an explosion, splitting the ground beneath her in multiple directions, and blasted three nearby buildings into a cloud of splinters. Kakashi as well, who'd been standing right next to her when it happened, was knocked off his feet once again and sent hurtling into another building, which was also demolished by Kuchisake's outburst of telekinetic energy.

" _ **HRAAAAAAAHHH!"**_ The woman screamed, before her wings gave a powerful flap and shot the demon up into the sky. _**"Your strength is waning, Kakashi Hatake!"**_ Immediately upon reaching a high enough altitude above the main boulevard, the woman began gathering black smoke to her again, which circled and twisted around her body like a cyclone.

The crater that she had taken off from had left a red pool of bubbling chakra in its center. Immediately after leaving it, the substance at its base started lifting up and forming into a spiral-like formation, which began to warp and spin at an alarming rate. In a matter of seconds, the liquid tore open a small black hole in the space above it, which began sucking in everything around it at a great speed.

The debris and rubble surrounding the spot where Kakashi had crashed was promptly picked up and sucked towards the red pool of energy and the miniature black hole. As soon as the Jonin was unburied from the building, he too suddenly found himself picked up and starting to fly towards the spatial disturbance. His vest shredded to the point that it got ripped off his body as he was dragged along the ground, the alarmed shinobi quickly flew through hand seals before exhaling sharply.

" _ **Katon:**_ _ **Karyūdan**_ _ **!"**_ (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet) the Jonin chanted before unleashing a blast of fire that rocketed towards the anomaly at breakneck speed.

The blazing technique collided with the pool of liquid beneath the spatial tear with the force of an artillery round, which detonated with incredible force and incinerated the chakra pond. The instant the base for the tear was annihilated, the black hole collapsed on itself, before exploding with the force of several dozen paper bombs going off all at once. Kakashi was lucky enough to dive out of the way of the blast that followed, but still ended up getting clipped by some of the shockwave.

Rolling across the floor and grunting as his body ended up battered against the dirt path, the exhausted shinobi ended up stopping near the river and bridge. Groaning in pain, the bloodied and bruised Jonin slowly pushed himself to his feet and looked up into the sky, where he saw his opponent flying in place while surrounded by a thick black cloud of twisting energy.

The sight of her form silhouetted against the misty sky had the panting Kakashi shake his head. _"This is too much. I… I don't think… I'll be able to beat her,"_ the shinobi thought. The phantom had literally shaken off everything he had to throw at her, including his best and most powerful techniques. Bombs, ninjutsu, taijutsu, wires, knives, traps, genjutsu- nothing seemed to be working on her at all. And to make matters worse, she was only getting stronger and stronger the more damage she took and the longer she fought.

At the rate this battle was going, she was going to become an even greater threat than the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox- or worse.

Sweat pouring down his face, Kakashi thought of something- anything- that could help him turn this thing around. If impaling her, setting her on fire, cutting off her head, dismembering her, or attacking her in any way wasn't going to work, there had to be some other way he could win.

Whatever it was, it had something to do with her question 'Am I pretty' and the mystery revolving around it. The Jonin just had to figure out what the hell that was.

However, from his current position of fatigue and damage, it didn't look like he was going to be able to live long enough to figure it out.

Spotting her target lying on the ground, the transformed Kuchisake snickered loudly before speaking in her deep, multi-layered voice. _**"Still alive, huh? Well then, I guess I'm going to have to try a little bit harder!"**_ the woman bellowed, before swinging her arm back and preparing to unleash another stream of aerial attacks on the Jonin.

Just before Kakashi could get to his feet and form a hand seal, the man then blinked in surprise when he suddenly saw the woman's body jerk back and heard her give a loud yelp.

Looking down at her body to see she had been impaled by two arrows to the chest, the furious Kuchisake then snapped her gaze down to the buildings below. There, amidst the smoke and the mist, she saw two samurai armed with crossbows standing on top of a roof, with dozens of other warriors scattered around the area and moving into more prepared positions.

Sneering at being interrupted from her attack, the woman then thrust her hand towards the interlopers instead and sent a blast of black fog shooting down at them. The torrent of mist arced downwards and wiped out the entire building in a single blast, killing the snipers on the roof and shredding them into nothing. Immediately after ridding herself of the samurai and watching the others duck and cover, Kuchisake then turned her attention back to Kakashi, only to have to shield her face when a barrage of shuriken came flying right up at her.

Copping them to the arms and body and feeling them puncture her flesh in multiple places, the woman then threw her arms out and bellowed, _**"Is that it? RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_ A blast of wind exploded from her body and rippled across the countryside- a display of raw strength that was matched by a sharp increase in power. Almost as soon as she hit the village with the gale, she then sent dozens of streams of black fog shooting down into the streets, which tore through the buildings, ripped through the trees, and smashed through the earth. _**"PATHETIC!"**_ Her fury echoed across the mountain region and dispelled the thick white fog that had fallen over the town. Simultaneously, the thick tendrils of smoke being telekinetically controlled by her proceeded to tear a series of chasms and fissures across the community.

Kakashi, seeing one off the streams of smoke rocketing towards him, dove out of the way in an attempt to avoid it. When it struck the ground beside him, it detonated with concussive force, sending the injured shinobi rolling with the rubble and crashing into the side of a partially destroyed building standing on the side of the highway. Stricken, the man groaned loudly when he tried to get back up, but quickly put his hand to his side when he realized he'd been slashed open by a sharp rock.

"Damn…" the man hissed in pain, before quickly looking back up into the sky to watch as the chaos around him unfolded. "Not good..."

Bar patrons and civilians currently in the surrounding neighborhood all fled in terror when they saw everything starting to collapse and explode around them. When they fled into the streets, some of them ended up getting cut off by the towering funnels of black smoke blasting their way through their beloved home, with a couple of late nighters unfortunately getting caught up by the tornadoes and disintegrated. The police tasked with evacuating the civilians and seeing the buildings getting utterly annihilated around them, kicked themselves into gear and hastened the peoples' retreat- while those armed with bows and arrows continued firing up at the infuriated demon.

But their efforts to shoot the beast out of the sky were all in vein, as every single projectile they let loose was blown off course by the hurricane that was continuing to rage around the angry creature.

After unleashing more of her anger down on Isahaya, Kuchisake, her feral expression having reverted to a more human face once again, turned her blood red eyes down to the main road. A quick scan of it soon led her to spotting Kakashi, who was now back on his feet and standing beside a ruined supply store in a hunched over position, and his hand pressing up against his side.

Seeing the man bleeding heavily from a clearly deep wound put a smirk on the woman's face, who then slowly descended from her advantageous position in the clouds. Touching down on the dirt road while the village around her continued to get smashed up by her tornadoes of black mist, the maniacal creature then began sauntering her way towards her opponent. Seeing him drop to one knee after attempting to stagger away had the woman grin as she casually closed the distance between them.

" _ **Finally conceding defeat? Good boy,"**_ Kuchisake hissed darkly, her teeth shining in the dark as she stopped a few feet from the stricken Jonin. Her body still surrounded by a heavy black haze and her wings spread to full length, the murderous female then brought her hand out and conjured out of the black smoke an enormous pair of scissors. The blades- forming out of the dust and mist- dropped into her hand the moment they materialized, the sight of which had Kakashi recoil in alarm. _**"Any last words?"**_

Giving a few raspy breaths, the Jonin quickly thought of a way he could turn this situation around. If not that, then just buy himself a little bit more time for help to come. Not really hoping for much, Kakashi- his Sharingan eye closed- glanced around him for a moment as sweat dripped down his face. Feeling the woman's shadow coming over him as she slowly raised the massive pair of scissors in her left hand, the shinobi then subtly clenched the hand he had at his sides, while the fingers on his other hand hanging behind him twitched.

Just as Kuchisake was drawing her blades back for a final blow, Kakashi spoke, "Wait." Seeing her jerk to a stop with a curious look appearing on her pale, scarred face, the Jonin exhaled behind his mask, "You still… haven't heard my answer to your question yet."

Freezing in place for several long seconds, the female demon stared at the defeated warrior for several moments. After which she then lowered her giant scissors and smirked, _**"Very well. What's your answer?"**_ She then craned her head to the side and batted her eyes, despite looking absolutely monstrous in her semi-vampire form. _**"Do you think I'm pretty?"**_

Still holding his position as the woman looked down at him waiting for an answer, Kakashi then decided at that point to be a little bit tricky. "Well… uhh…" he then shrugged, "I don't think that my friend Kurenai is _not_ pretty."

Kuchisake blinked when she heard this before slowly turning to face the man properly, _**"So… you're telling me… you**_ **don't** _ **think I'm pretty?"**_

Inhaling thoughtfully, the silver haired Jonin then tilted his head to the side, "It… wouldn't be inaccurate to assume that I couldn't exactly not say that you are or are not fair looking in the general sense."

Scrunching her brow in confusion, the scarred woman lowered her scissors as she attempted to decipher what his answer was. _**"So you** _**do** _ **think I'm pretty?"**_

"On the contrary," Kakashi said while smiling broadly under his mask, "I'm possibly more or less and not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way, with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably-"

" _ **Stop it!"**_

"-do or do not think that your complexion is or is not attractive to the male or female population in any possible way. That is if you don't not care to be judged on that basis. Though I honestly do not, _not_ think without any doubt or uncertainty in a completely impartial and unbiased sense that you could or could not be judged fairly in a contest of-"

Slapping herself in the face in an exasperated manner, Kuchisake then reached the limit of her patience, _**"ENOUGH!"**_ When she saw the Jonin stop, the woman sneered and raised the hand that was carrying her large scissors. _**"I know this goes against the rules of my curse, but since you've been such an annoying opponent, I'm going to say that you responded with a 'no' and gut you like a-"**_

Before she could finish, Kakashi's form suddenly transformed into a blur when, with an intense growl, the Jonin lunged at her with his previously limp hand flying at her with a kunai held tightly in its grip. Seeing the blade flying at her in such a surprising burst of speed had Kuchisake recoil momentarily in surprise, before a smile returned to her lips when she saw the man was moving in slow motion.

When Kakashi thrust towards her face with the intent of impaling her brain, the Jonin was then abruptly stopped when the smiling woman's hand flew up and caught his incoming fist- catching the blow with the blade pointing towards her eyes between her index and middle finger.

The shinobi blinked as the confidence he had on landing that shot quickly plummeted, "Oh… nuts."

Kuchisake smirked at the expression of defeat that crossed Kakashi's masked face. _**"So, shinobi… was this your second wind or your dying gasp? Either way, it doesn't matter,"**_ she then brought back her large scissors and, aiming it towards the man's heart, prepared to impale him with them. _**"Your time is-"**_

"HEY! OVER HERE, YOU OLD HAG!" a familiar young voice suddenly called out.

Caught by surprise, both Kuchisake and Kakashi then looked across the road in the direction of that voice. A split second before a blinding flash of blue light filled both their faces and the scar-faced woman was blasted off her feet by a massive energy ball slamming into her chest and sending her rocketing across the nearby river. When her body crashed through a couple of buildings and then through the woods behind them, a massive explosion then reverberated across the landscape when the chakra ball detonated safely outside the community.

The instant she got hit, the tornadoes of black fog that'd been slowly tearing the village apart immediately dissipated. Her connection to her telepathic attack broken, the town of Isahaya was effectively freed from her wrath, with Kakashi also collapsing to the floor in relief at narrowly avoiding being impaled.

As it turns out, the blue chakra ball had originated from a now transformed Tama, who had assumed her massive, horse-sized fox form with six tails whipping behind her. After dispatching of the ghost woman, she then stepped aside and allowed Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke to move forward to collect their teacher. When they surrounded him, the kunoichi quickly lent over and checked on their captain.

"Oh Kami. Sensei, are you okay?" the pinkette asked, her eyes darting over his form to assess the damages. However, when he saw that his body was covered in bruises, knife wounds, as well as a large gash in his side that was bleeding into his shirt, the girl knew right away that he was _not_ okay. In fact, from the exhausted look on his face, it looked like he was about to pass out. "W-What's going on?"

"You guys…" Kakashi gasped, looking up to see his young team surrounding him in a defensive circle. He also saw the enlarged Tama step into view and, while the sight of the massive animal surprised the Jonin, it didn't seem to worry him that much, as it was clear it was the kitsune that'd fired that shot that saved his life. "G-Get out of here… now..."

Naruto blew a raspberry at that, "Like hell we will. You're our teacher and our team captain."

"That means you're one of us," Sasuke stated, also glancing down at the wounded Jonin to see him looking across at them.

Nodding at her two male teammates, Sakura then took Kakashi's arm, put it over her shoulders, and helped get him to his feet. "Even if you order us to run, we're not going to leave you out here like this."

The words, though touching, still had Kakashi glance worriedly between them. "Though I appreciate the attitude you guys are showing towards teamwork and team spirit, seriously… you have to get out of here. Fast."

"Why?" Naruto asked, looking across at the Jonin with a strange look. "We got her. She's dead, isn't she?"

Before the wrecked Kakashi could begin answering the blonde's question, the entire team and Tama missed the sight of a black shadow leaping out of the cloud of dust hanging over the distant woods, arc through the sky above, and then slam down into the dirt road a few yards away from them. The impact of the object caused all of them to jump and look in the direction of the crash site, where the group watched the debris settle over the small crater to reveal the slit-mouthed woman standing there in a slumped over position, her body burnt black in several places and her wings mangled.

Despite her completely ruined state, the shocked members of Team 7 then watched in bewilderment as the damage done to the woman slowly healed. The burns on her skin and clothes vanished, the tears in her kimono sewed themselves shut, and the copious amounts of blood dripping from her head, mouth, and body slowly withdrew back into the multiple gaping wounds she'd sustained. The only injury that did not heel was the Cheshire scars on her cheeks, which remained turned upwards while her teeth bared in anger.

The steam rising off of her body as she lumbered forward was a second indicator as to just how pissed off she was.

" _ **It's just one pest after another. Where do all of you keep coming from?"**_ the woman snarled, which not only had the gawking Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke take a terrified step back, but also had the transformed Tama standing in front of them shiver in fright. However, being the most powerful of them, the kitsune quickly took on a defensive position, her six tails whipping about behind her aggressively as the zombie phantom stomped towards them. _**"It doesn't matter. You're all dead anyway. Every single one of you. Dead."**_

Sakura, seeing the regenerating ghost with wings and claws staggering in their direction, had her eyes widen in horror as she saw the blood on her face seep back into her skin in slow motion. "Sh-She's… still alive? How?"

"Just what the hell _is_ that thing?" Sasuke asked. Not only did they have to deal with a half-human, half-spider girl that'd been living in the forest not too far outside of town, but now it looked like they were facing off against a walking corpse with wings and fangs.

It was almost as if they'd just stepped into the darkest and most haunted landscape in all of _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire).

Danger alarms going off inside her head, the transformed Tama spun around and barked at Naruto and his teammates. _**"NARUTO-KUN! ALL OF YOU! RUN! NOW!"**_ The moment she saw the kids look at her, the giant white fox's eyes widened in alarm before she looked back ahead of her and saw the scar-faced woman flick a pair of scissors into each hand. The moment the katana-long blades flashed into view, the six-tailed kitsune swung one of her appendages forward and extended it towards her at high speed.

The whipping white limb grew and rocketed towards the ghost woman at blinding speed. But just when it looked like the attack would hit, the phantom's form suddenly transformed into a blur when it darted around the appendage and charged straight towards Tama. Her murderous grin and eyes flashing through the air as it closed in on the fox in a haze of movement, the white kitsune got down low before focusing her chakra into her forehead. The moment the phantom lunged at her with both her scissors at full bear, the spirit fox unleashed a powerful shockwave directly into the ghoul, and sent Kuchisake flying back.

The ground split and fractured for several yards in front of Tama as the phantom was practically rag-dolled through the air. But after only a few seconds of flight, the kimono-clad ghost threw herself into a corrective spin, slammed her feet into the ground, and skidded to a stop. Feeling the winds die down around her, the grinning woman gave another boisterous laugh before transforming into a cloud of mist, which then separated and shot off in different directions.

Senses going wild, the startled Tama focused her chakra into her six tails before sending her appendages shooting after the individual trails of fog. She attempted to swat the clouds out of the sky as they bolted and curved at multiple angles and points. But despite the speed and power of her swings, neither one of her attacks was able to hurt the smoke, as the trails of white fumes coiled, rolled, and darted past her furry limbs.

After several attempts to strike the mist out of the air, the individual streams of cloud quickly came together just a few meters above the giant fox and reformed into the Kuchisake, who dove down at the kitsune with her scissors in hand and her kimono trailing behind her like a cape. Her wings extending to control her fall, the woman gave a wild cackle as she barreled down at the fox and slashed at the kitsune's head with the intent to decapitate her.

Leaping back to dodge at the last moment, the fox then swung out with her left paw and slammed it down on top of the mutilated woman, who speedily blocked the attack with both her arms. A loud thunderclap and a blast of wind rang out as a fifty-foot wide crater was punched into the earth directly beneath Kuchisake, who managed to push back against the might of Tama's attack, who growled down at the ghost that was now holding the full weight of her claw.

Pressing down on the ghoul for several more seconds in an attempt to flatten her, the white fox then barked and struck the ghost from the side with her right hand instead, knocking her off her feet aand sending her body flying across the road to slam into a ruined building. A plume of dust and rubble kicked up into the air when the ghost's body collided with the crumbling structure, with Tama quickly taking on a new defensive position in front of Naruto and his team.

As Team 7 continued to hold its spot on the dirt road, the group was soon joined by two squads worth of police enforcers- who had previously been scattered around the outlying suburbs of Isahaya. Having survived the onslaught of aerial attacks from before, the men and women in robes and eboshi rushed onto the village's main highway by the river, and formed a protective line on either side of the shinobi squad.

Though at first remaining cautious of the large six-tailed white fox standing in front of the kids and their Jonin teacher, the soldiers armed with swords, spears and crossbows instead focused their attention on the ruined building that the animal was glaring at. Clearly, whatever it was the fox was now fighting, was the most immediate threat to the town, and the one responsible for destroying half of their beloved settlement.

Still rattled from what they'd just witnessed earlier, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi remained where they were, with Tama and the samurai keeping their eyes locked on the destroyed store. Just when they were beginning to think they'd finally gotten her, the two groups then watched the shadow of the woman emerge from the smoke and stagger out of the ruins.

Hunched over and still exuding steam from her body, Kuchisake gave a spine-chilling laugh as she stepped into the night air, unharmed and unaffected. Her reappearance had the samurai soldiers take their stances, with even Naruto and Sasuke also reaching for their weapons.

" _ **Is that… the best you got?"**_ Kuchisake snarled in her multi-layered, deep voice, her blood-red eyes locking onto the giant fox, who she saw dig her claws into the earth and growl at her. Not at all put-off by the beast's anger, the transformed woman fanned out the bat-wings on her back, lowered them, and began producing more black smoke from her body. _**"You're going to need… to do a lot better... than**_ **that** _ **."**_ When she said this, the haze lifting from her hunched-over form started to manifest into more tendrils composed of mist, which whipped and coiled around her dangerously.

Naruto, snapping open his staff and spinning it into a firm grip in his hand, felt sweat run down the front of his face when he saw the fiend's dark chakra rising from her body. "Uhh… this… doesn't look good, does it?"

Sakura, who was still supporting Kakashi's weight, gulped and shook her head, "No. It doesn't."

At that point, Kuchisake's eyes landed on the pink haired girl holding up her Jonin opponent. Seeing the girl looking back at her, the murderous woman's body instantly shuddered to a halt. A stunned expression falling upon her face, the female slowly straightened up where she was standing and gaped in disbelief at the young girl. In the seconds to follow, the crowd of anxious and nervous fighters standing in front of the river then watched in confusion as the black mist hovering around the phantom dissipated, her wings vanished into thin air, and her twisted, elongated body slowly morphed back into a normal, human shape.

Her gravity defying hair slowly flopping down to either side of her pale, scarred face, the shocked woman let out a gasp, before then taking a slow, shaky step forward. The samurai enforcers and Tama, who were still firmly on guard and ready to engage the beast in battle, edged away a little as they proceeded to observe Kuchisake start shuffling toward them.

The manner in which she walked wasn't in an aggressive or angry way at all. In fact, from the look of shock currently plastered on her face and the way her once angry red eyes were now glowing with astonishment and sadness mixed into one, it was apparent that her once enraged mood had just done a complete one-eighty. But why?

"C-Chie-chan…" Kuchisake suddenly whispered, catching the group of ninja and samurai off guard as they saw the woman take another shaky step forward and raise her hand. "I-Is that you? Chie-chan?"

Sasuke blinked when he heard the woman utter the name a second time. "Chie-chan?"

"Who's that?" Naruto whispered, narrowing his eyes on the woman as she saw her take another step. Following her gaze and the direction of her hand, the blond suddenly noticed that the scar-faced maiden was pointing at one of them and looked across at Sakura, who he could see was clearly locked in the phantom's line of sight. Glancing between his friend and the phantom a couple of times, the jinchuriki then spoke to his kunoichi teammate in a worried tone, "She's… talking to you, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette looked across at Naruto in surprise, "Huh? M-Me?" Appearing taken aback when she saw the blond nod, the kunoichi then snapped her attention towards the phantom. "Why me?"

"I don't know… but…" Naruto began as he continued to watch the woman stagger in their direction, slowly closing the distance between them. "Y-You must remind her of someone. Someone that she knew."

This much was clear, because not only was she a lot calmer than she was before, but she was no longer exuding the black chakra from her body anymore. She'd also reverted to a more human-state, which was surprising since the first time the members of Team 7 and Tama laid eyes on her, she was ghoul-like creature with giant wings and claws sprouting from her back.

From what they could gather, this entire encounter had transformed into a very surreal experience. Obviously there was something they were missing that was important…

Kuchisake meanwhile, still in a state of shock, moved a little bit closer as she continued to focus on the adolescent girl holding the silver-haired shinobi over her shoulder. She was rapt. No. Bewildered. Completely unable to comprehend what she was staring at. It was all reflected on her face. Even though the person she was looking at was clearly a totally different person to who she was thinking of, her outline, the green in her eyes, the texture of her hair, and the soft features of her face all bore a striking resemblance to someone from her past.

It had to be someone close to her as well, because the next thing everyone saw was tears starting to build in the raven haired demon's eyes.

"M-My baby girl… Chie-chan," Kuchisake whimpered, reaching out towards Sakura as she came to within just several feet from the group's position. A soft smile came to her face when she saw the young Genin lurch back in alarm. "It's me… it's mommy… don't you recognize me?"

While Naruto and the others were at a complete loss as to what to do, with Tama preparing to swat the woman again if she came too close, out of the dozen people present, only one of them was able to react.

When Kuchisake took another step forward, Kakashi, having spent enough time gathering the chakra he needed, formed a hand seal in front of him and opened his left eye. The moment his Sharingan spun into view, the three tomoe pattern surrounding the pupil quickly morphed into that of a shuriken with elongated blades, which he then focused on the ghost woman walking towards them.

" _ **Kamui!"**_ (Authority of the Gods) Kakashi chanted, his borrowed kekkei genkai focusing its chakra on the point directly in the center of the woman's chest.

In an instant, an invisible barrier space formed around Kuchisake, which quickly started to enclose on itself in a whirlpool like fashion, drawing everything towards it at an alarming speed. The staggering woman gasped in alarm when she felt her body get sucked right into the heart of the spatial anomaly, before she gave an enraged scream and attempted to jump and claw her way out of the celestial event as the matter around her was displaced from their dimension.

"GRAAAAGH! WHAT IS THIS?!" the woman shrieked, feeling herself getting pulled into another dimension.

While the samurai looked on in astonishment as the ghost was sucked into the void, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tama looked back at Kakashi to see the Jonin concentrating all of his efforts on keeping the jutsu active and transporting the woman to another space. The most surprised out of all of them was actually the Uchiha, who was now witnessing a man that was not from his clan using his family's bloodline ability in its most advanced form.

Despite the shocking reveal, the raven haired youngster didn't say anything. Instead he allowed Kakashi to continue using the technique, as he, Naruto and Sakura looked back at the woman and watched as the rest of her body was sucked into the black hole.

Much to all of their surprise, they watched as the woman literally grabbed hold of the air not being pulled into the black hole and start dragging herself out. Clearly struggling against the forces now enacting on her body, the practically frothing Kuchisake snarled at the Jonin she could see using the technique on her, before then attempting to reach out to grab him. Her efforts were in vain of course, as she then started doing everything in her power to pull herself out of the wormhole.

"Y-You can't get rid of me! YOU WON'T! I'M NOT DONE YET!" the woman howled at the people in front of her, watching them all gaping at her as through sheer will and raw strength, she continued to push herself out of the black hole dragging her into the dimension beyond that one. "Your eye… the same as his from _that_ night… I will kill him! I _**WILL**_ KILL HIM!"

Kakashi, feeling his chakra waning fast, groaned as he lurched forward- trying to strengthen the matter displacement technique he was now using on the ghost. _"I-It's not enough… the barrier is weakening…"_

Sensing the Jonin's strength dissipating, Tama quickly took action. Planting her feet and shielding the people behind her by fanning her tails out, the fox inhaled sharply and ignited the blue fired on the tips of her appendages. Her chakra charging in an instant, she then unleashed a sphere of twisting blue fire at the woman sitting in the spatial barrier, and struck her right in the chest.

Getting slammed by the attack was all that was needed to dislodge the woman's grip on their space, as she was unceremoniously knocked into Kamui's center with the chakra blast, and sent screaming into the next dimension. Her form spiraled right into the black hole and vanished with a pop, as the spatial gateway closed shut behind her.

The instant Kamui shut, silence fell over the area. As the night gave up another cool breeze that drifted over the ruined village of Isahaya and over the heads of the people that'd been relegated to the outskirts, the group standing at the side of the river on the ruined road could only stare at the spot the demon had once stood.

While Tama remained poised where she was with her tails fanned out and the samurai slowly lowered their swords, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura- who was still holding the exhausted Kakashi on his feet- all slowly turned to look at one another.

The sweat still present on the children's faces revealed just how shaken all of them were. After everything they'd been through tonight and the death-defying encounter they'd just experienced, there was really only one thing that they had to say. And of course, it was the blond delinquent hero who was the one to ask it.

"Okay… I think it's about time someone did some explaining here, dattebayo," Naruto said, at the same time doing his best not to collapse from shock. In response, Sasuke, Sakura, and everybody else standing nearby nodded nervously in agreement.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And that concludes the main encounter of this arc. Now I will be moving into the _**Preliminary Chunin Exam Arc**_ , which will be building up to the first **Grand Chunin Exams** hosted by the Five Great Shinobi Nations, which will be held in the _**Crescent Moon Kingdom**_.

Of course, for all those still scratching their heads over the whole _**Kuchisake Onna**_ thing, and those who are still wondering who the hell she was, allow me to drop some Japanese lore on you. You can of course research this all for yourself (this is the internet after all), but for those of you who can't be bothered, here I go.

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (Part III):**

 **-Kuchisake Onna** (Slit-Mouthed/Cleft-Mouth Woman) (Edo Period or 1979 to Present) – One of the most popular and famous ghosts to appear in the country in recent years, _Kuchisake Onna_ is a malevolent figure that has popped up in several Japanese ghost stories- possibly dating back all the way to the Edo Period in Japan. As an undead serial killer, the _Slit-Mouthed Woman_ approaches unsuspecting victims with innocuous questions before killing them- usually with a long pair of scissors. The reasons why this story emerged in Japan is a mystery. However, one of the most likely reasons is to prevent children- who often walk home alone in Japan- from talking to strangers that they may encounter on the street.

In mythology, Kuchisake Onna is a woman who was mutilated and then murdered by her husband, and then returns as a malicious spirit to enact her revenge on the people. When rumors of alleged sightings of this spirit began spreading in 1979 around the Nagasaki Prefecture, it spread throughout Japan and caused panic in many towns. There were even reports of schools sending children home only in groups, escorted by teachers for safety, and of police increasing patrols. Recent sightings also appeared in Korea around 2004, reporting of a woman wearing a red mask who was allegedly chasing children.

Although some stories describe her as a former patient of a mental asylum, a more common story describes that in the Heian period, her husband found out that she was having an affair with another samurai. He used a sword to cut her mouth from ear to ear and asked, "Who will think you are beautiful now?"

According to the legend, she covers her mouth with a cloth mask, a fan, or a scarf.

The woman will ask a potential victim "Am I pretty?" If he or she answers yes, she will remove her mask and ask him or her again in a girly voice. If the potential victim answers yes or screams, she will slash the victim from ear to ear so that the victim resembles her. If he or she answers no, she will walk away, only to follow her victim home and brutally murder him or her that night. Said reaction also occurs if you say no before she removes her mask.

To avoid this fate, several people during the Edo period claimed that they gave her confusing answers like average and so-so or threw money or hard candy at her, buying themselves time to run away and lose her.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to her real-life counterpart- _Kuchisake Onna_ is a malevolent spirit that haunts the village of Isahaya. Taking the form of a beguiling, luscious young woman wearing a red kimono, sandals and surgical mask, she approaches unsuspecting victims and asks them questions, before killing them with a long pair of scissors that she conceals within her robes. However, unlike the other spirits and creatures of this story, she is very different from the demons that Naruto and his friends have encountered before.

A very new demon to arrive in the Naruto world, Kuchisake Onna displays the qualities of a person or spirit who is cursed. According to Tamamo no Mae, cursed beings are incredibly tricky individuals to deal with- as curses often play on irony and are next to impossible to remove without invoking serious consequences. This much is certainly the case for Kuchisake Onna. Somehow- and this is the most apparent- the demon's curse is associated with a woman named Madoka Igarashi- who Kakashi learned from an elderly woman that she was a villager who was married to a young farmer and had a child with him many years ago- during the time of Hashirama Senju. One night, the woman and her family were killed in a fire that engulfed their house, and stories quickly surfaced around the village of the woman's spirit being spotted wandering around at night. **Madoka Igarashi and Kuchisake Onna are one in the same person**.

Kuchisake Onna possesses incredible supernatural powers- very different from the abilities used by shinobi, which makes her a very unpredictable and difficult opponent for most people to deal with. She can manipulate the weather and atmosphere around her in a variety of different ways- including the ability to conjure a heavy fog to cover a large area to conceal her movements. This fog has the innate effect of suppressing sounds, allowing her to attack people without anybody in the immediate area noticing. Being undead, her body also possesses incredible flexibility, stamina, durability, superhuman strength, and speed, which she can increase as a fight drags on. This can be attributed to the curse she is afflicted with- _as the more negative emotions she experiences, the stronger she becomes._

Her supernatural capabilities also allows her to summon tools to fight- the most common being scissors. She can spam this trick endlessly, unleashing hails of scissors of different sizes on her opponents or using them as close-range melee weapons. Since she is a ghost, she also has unnatural regenerative and recovery attributes, allowing her to survive injuries that would normally maim or kill an ordinary person. This makes her practically invulnerable to harm. Because of this, she can exploit this ability to warp and disjoint her limbs to attack and surprise her foes.

Another unusual ability she has in her arsenal is the skill to transform her body into a mist-like form, which she can use to teleport, move around the battlefield, phase through objects, and recover from injuries almost instantaneously. This is the most difficult ability for people to circumvent, as she can seemingly appear behind her opponents out of nowhere to catch them off guard. It also makes tracking her next to impossible.

As a side effect of her curse, Kuchisake Onna can increase her physical strength and speed by altering the structure of her body. This vampiric transformation gives her more feral, bestial qualities, allowing her the ability to fly, to control air currents, launch tangible black mist and tornadoes to decimate the landscape, and telekinetic blasts. Apparently the transformation also enhances her other abilities, making her more lethal. Even a transformed Tamamo no Mae was wary of the power she was exuding in her transformed state.

Since she is a ghost and can recover from any injury- including having her body blown to bits, her head chopped off and heart destroyed- Kuchisake Onna is seemingly invincible. Sealing techniques don't work on her, nor does genjutsu or other abilities used by shinobi- including the yin-yang release or truth-seeking balls. However, because the curse enveloping her body and keeping her chained to the world has something to do with the loss of her family, as long as someone is able to decipher her curse, they'll be able to free her soul and defeat her. But until then, the only way people can get rid of her is to either teleport her far away, run away from her, or send her to another dimension.

But even the latter won't keep her at bay for very long.

 **-Jorogumo** ( _aka Spider Woman_ ) (Edo Period to Present) – is a type of yokai, a creature, ghost or goblin from Japanese folklore. This particular demon can shapeshift into a beautiful young woman, as the kanji for her name actually means "woman-spider". Stories often tell of the Jorogumo being a spirit that seduces men on the side of the road or in a house, luring them into a nest where they are then trapped and eaten. There are many variations of this story, but all of them often involve people being baited by the tricky spider hybrid and devoured- probably as a warning to men who commit adultery.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ \- the Jurogumo bears many resemblances to her real-life counterpart. Also possessing supernatural abilities, this spider creature was once very prominent before the Sage of Six Paths' arrival. Afterwards, people starting hunting this demon into extinction, despite the fact that they only wanted to live in peace. Naruto and his team encounter a young Jorogumo living on the edge of Isahaya- a village which was also being terrorized by the Kuchisake Onna.


	18. STORY INFO-RECAP

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 **-STORY RECAP-**

 **Author's Note:** I believe this far along in _Naruto: Maoyū_ it's about time I posted one of these.

Since there was such a significant time gap between my last updates, because I was juggling time between other stories, work and writing my own novel, I need to put out a recap chapter to go over what has been covered in this story so far.

This will help people who haven't read this story in a while or help those who are a bit lost in reading it to this point because of its contents. Understandable, considering there is a lot of Japanese lore and history associated with this fanfiction, and not many people out there- despite this being the internet age filled with search engines and information- are that knowledgeable or interested in studying HISTORY, CULTURE, or other topics that are usually significant or associated with Japanese anime and, you know, stories in general.

(I bet by this point some people in the rest of my fellow Western world may have fallen asleep when I said the words HISTORY and CULTURE, with some probably thinking "Aww, f&*k this guy, he's boring" or "history, pft, who needs that?" Well… okay. That's your opinion. This world wasn't built in a day. It's filled with a lot of interesting stuff that led us to the present)

I figure that by this point with so many anime/manga out there along with thousands of other stories, people would at least take a bit of interest in Japanese history/culture- the land where all of THIS originated from. But… apparently they don't want to. So let me drop down some lore for people who can't be bothered researching or learning something interesting associated with Naruto and Japan in general.

* * *

 _ **CHANGES**_ – It may have occurred to some people right now that I changed the name for this story _**twice**_. Originally it was called _**Naruto: Freelancer**_. When people didn't like the story for the OC I included, I altered it and reposted it as _**Naruto: Ronin**_. When people STILL didn't like the story because the title was misleading, I changed the name to _**Naruto: Maoyū,**_ so now it fits more in line with the story itself.

NOTHING in the story by this point has changed. It's still the same as it was before. The **title** was the only thing that changed.

Before anyone asks, _**Maoyū**_ is the shortened translation in Japanese for "Demon King" or "Demon Hero", which Naruto in this story is aspiring to become.

* * *

 **THE STORY SO FAR…**

 _ **Naruto: Maoyū**_ follows the tale of Naruto from his youth to his ninja years. Unlike his canon counterpart- who is dimwitted and prone to getting his ass kicked consecutively by the other characters- this version of Naruto, shaped by bullying and a lack of purpose in life, grows up as a delinquent and a brawler, constantly getting into fights with other kids from other clans on the street, and growing stronger as a result. While he maintains his goofy and kind personality, his drive and determination to become a great ninja in the future shapes him into a smarter, more capable person than his original counterpart.

Along the way he encounters many challenges and individuals standing in the way of his dream- including people with different ideologies, enemy ninja, demons, and enemy factions.

 _ **MAIN STORY:**_ Unlike the convoluted plot of the original Naruto series (Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Otsutsuki, OH MY), this one has been simplified to a single, overarching story:

 _ **"A prophecy states that a man named**_ ** _Oda Nobunaga_** _ **– The Great Unifier-**_ _ **will rise up to conquer the world and wage war against the Gods, and only**_ ** _Naruto Uzumaki_** _ **\- the new Demon King- will be able to stop him from destroying the world."**_

The main end game is Naruto will eventually have to face Oda Nobunaga- the most powerful antagonist in history- to stop the End of the World.

 _The arrival of Oda Nobunaga was prophesized by both the Kappa- Suiro- and Fuma Kotaro- both important characters in the story._

XXX

 _ **ARCS:**_ The arcs that have been covered so far are as follows:

- _ **Orphan Arc**_ – Establishes Naruto's character, where he came from, how he grows up, befriends his first friend Tenten, and how he meets the two most important people in his life- the spirit fox Tama and Tayuya.

OOO

- _ **Uchiha**_ _**Massacre Arc**_ – A divergent in the timeline, this arc covers how Naruto, Tayuya and Tama interrupt the Uchiha Clan Massacre, how Tama drives off Obito, how Mikoto and several other Uchiha survives, and how Danzo is inevitably killed by Tama. Naruto also becomes a hero to several Uchiha.

OOO

 _ **-Kappa Arc –**_ This arc shows Naruto slipping out of the village with Tama on an adventure, where he finds out where Tama came from, and meets the Kiri Genin team and Samui's team for the first time- both later important to the story. He also meets one of the first demon enemies in the story- **the Kappa** \- whom prophesizes the arrival of _**Oda Nobunaga**_ , cementing Naruto's destiny as the one to stop him.

OOO

 _ **-Graduation Arc**_ – This arc shows Naruto and his friends graduating to Genin, as well as Sasuke surviving an assassination attempt from Mizuki who- using the Cursed Seal from the anime filler arc- fights Naruto and his friends.

Naruto is assigned to Team 7 with a more likable Sakura and Sasuke (lol), and performs Kakashi's test admirably.

OOO

 _ **-Demon Hunt Arc –**_ This arc is Naruto's first official mission outside of the village, where Team 7 encounters two new demons- a **Jorogumo** and a **Kuchisake Onna** \- with the latter being one of the most dangerous ghosts/spirits to walk the earth.

* * *

 **UPCOMING ARCS:**

 _ **-Chunin Exams I Arc-**_ Preliminary exam trials between the Five Great Villages in Konoha stadium.

OOO

 _ **-Wave Arc-**_ Two Genin teams are dispatched to Wave escorting supplies on a ship, which they later discover is blockaded by a cruiser fleet from Gato International.

OOO

 _ **-Chunin Exams II Arc –**_ The first Grand Chunin Exams take place in the _**Crescent Moon Kingdom**_ (Naruto Movie 3 Plot interwoven with the main plot)

* * *

 **VILLAIN FACTIONS:** There are _**three**_ main villain factions that consistently appear in _Naruto: Maoyū:_

– _ **Orochimaru**_ : Leader of the Sound Village and former member of the Legendary Sannin

– _ **Akatsuki:**_ A cult group who seek to capture the nine tailed beasts for unknown reasons

 **- _Gato International_** _–_ Renowned developer of advanced weaponry and owner of the largest private military in the world, comprised of powerful warriors from multiple nations who seek to control every major nation

If anyone is wondering where _**Karna**_ (Boruto) and _**Kawaki**_ is, Oda Nobunaga kills them, because they were a threat to his plans.

* * *

 **JAPANESE MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES (Non-OC characters):** (DISCLAIMER) A list of characters that I did not create, but borrowed/inserted from Japanese mythology and other source materials, that have appeared so far:

OOO

 **-Kyuubi no Yoko (Nine-Tailed Fox)** ** _aka Kurama_** – (4th - 1st Century BC to present) - Originating from Chinese mythology as far back as the Qing dynasty, the **Nine-Tails** or **Fox Spirit** is a creature that was made famous in various works of fiction throughout Japanese history. It is often regarded as a yokai/spirit of mischief and mystery, imbued with magical powers, with some possessing the ability to disguise themselves as attractive women. Numerous statues of kitsune can be found at temples and places of spiritual significance across the island nation.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- just like in canon- the main Nine-Tailed Fox, **_Kurama_** , is an intelligent creature formed from the chakra of the Ten-Tails by the _Sage of Six Paths_ , which originally belonged to Kaguya and the Shinju: The God Tree. Having been sealed into multiple hosts throughout history, its latest whereabouts are currently unknown.

OOO

 **-Tamamo no Mae** – (1142-1155 to Present) - One of the most famous Nine-Tailed Fox incarnations from Japanese myth, Tamamo no Mae is a playful fox spirit who was said to have originated from Ancient China and, after years of performing trickery and deception on various humans across the nation, was found out and sealed inside the **_Sessho Seki_** (Killing Stone), an actual landmark that can be found in central Japan.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, Tama takes the form of a powerful, beguiling young fox woman originating from a race of demons that shares a similar history to her real-life counterpart, who can transform into a little white vixen, follows Naruto around, and trains him to use Celestial Chakra.

OOO

 **-Kappa** ** _aka Suiro_** – (1st Century to Present) – With a name literally translating to 'Water Child', the **Kappa** or **Kawatora** is a yokai demon or imp found in traditional Japanese folklore- and probably one of the most famous and well-known of the yokai. The Kappa is an amphibious spirit that is said to dwell in small rock pools, lakes and rivers, and is noted to be the cause of multiple unresolved drownings across Japan. The creature's reputation is so great that it is not only featured in various Japanese works of fiction and media, it can also be found on warning signs by the shores of various bodies of water in the country. Folk stories claim that the cucumber is its favorite meal.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, one such Kappa named _Suiro_ , an intelligent beast lurking in the depths of a northern village lake, was defeated by Naruto and Samui's team, and now hangs off of Naruto's wrist in a petrified state. When given water, he can come back to life, change size, and become an effective battle partner for the delinquent.

OOO

 **-Ittan-momen** **_aka Aijo_** –(10th Century to Present) – This little creature is a type of spirit, a Tsukumogami to be exact, which is formed from a roll of cotton, and is said to fly through the air, land on unsuspecting victims, and smother them to death. It is one of the many ancient artefact spirits made famous through storytelling.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, the Ittan-momen is a spirit that possesses the scarf made for Naruto by Kurumi Uchiha, and forms a protective attachment to the blond. Functioning as a semi-sentient object, it does what Naruto telepathically wills it to do and also acts on its own to serve its user, automatically protecting its friend from attacks and acting as an extra set of limbs. Naruto is later able to transform the scarf into different objects, such as a white coat with blue flames, a scarf, an obi, and even a bracelet. It is the most useful and versatile artefact in his possession.

OOO

 **-Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru –** (1806 to Present) – Originating from the Japanese folklore tale **_Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari_** (The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya), these three figures served as the central characters of this story. The plot of this tale involves a brave shinobi hero who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad, who falls in love with a beautiful maiden who uses slug magic, and gets into a life-or-death battle with his rival and arch-nemesis, who uses serpent magic. This story, as well as the three main characters, have found much renown in recent years and have gone on to serve as a source of influence for various other media across the world of fiction.

They have received particular fame from their part in the hit manga **_Naruto_** , in which the three characters share a history as being three very talented, very powerful ninja originating from the village of _Konohagakure_ , whose eventual conflicting futures mirror the circumstances of the folklore tale from which they originated from; with Tsunade being viewed as a love-interest of Jiraiya, and Orochimaru being Jiraiya's arch-nemesis.

OOO

 **-Kuchisake Onna** (Slit-Mouthed/Cleft-Mouth Woman) (Edo Period or 1979 to Present) – One of the most popular and famous ghosts to appear in the country in recent years, _Kuchisake Onna_ is a malevolent figure that has popped up in several Japanese ghost stories- possibly dating back all the way to the Edo Period in Japan. As an undead serial killer, the _Slit-Mouthed Woman_ approaches unsuspecting victims with innocuous questions before killing them- usually with a long pair of scissors. The reasons why this story emerged in Japan is a mystery. However, one of the most likely reasons is to prevent children- who often walk home alone in Japan- from talking to strangers that they may encounter on the street.

In mythology, Kuchisake Onna is a woman who was mutilated and then murdered by her husband, and then returns as a malicious spirit to enact her revenge on the people. When rumors of alleged sightings of this spirit began spreading in 1979 around the Nagasaki Prefecture, it spread throughout Japan and caused panic in many towns. There were even reports of schools sending children home only in groups, escorted by teachers for safety, and of police increasing patrols. Recent sightings also appeared in Korea around 2004, reporting of a woman wearing a red mask who was allegedly chasing children.

Although some stories describe her as a former patient of a mental asylum, a more common story describes that in the Heian period, her husband found out that she was having an affair with another samurai. He used a sword to cut her mouth from ear to ear and asked, "Who will think you are beautiful now?"

According to the legend, she covers her mouth with a cloth mask, a fan, or a scarf.

The woman will ask a potential victim "Am I pretty?" If he or she answers yes, she will remove her mask and ask him or her again in a girly voice. If the potential victim answers yes or screams, she will slash the victim from ear to ear so that the victim resembles her. If he or she answers no, she will walk away, only to follow her victim home and brutally murder him or her that night. Said reaction also occurs if you say no before she removes her mask.

To avoid this fate, several people during the Edo period claimed that they gave her confusing answers like average and so-so or threw money or hard candy at her, buying themselves time to run away and lose her.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to her real-life counterpart- _Kuchisake Onna_ is a malevolent spirit that haunts the village of Isahaya. Taking the form of a beguiling, luscious young woman wearing a red kimono, sandals and surgical mask, she approaches unsuspecting victims and asks them questions, before killing them with a long pair of scissors that she conceals within her robes. However, unlike the other spirits and creatures of this story, she is very different from the demons that Naruto and his friends have encountered before.

OOO

 **-Jorogumo** ( _aka Spider Woman_ ) (Edo Period to Present) – is a type of yokai, a creature, ghost or goblin from Japanese folklore. This particular demon can shapeshift into a beautiful young woman, as the kanji for her name actually means "woman-spider". Stories often tell of the Jorogumo being a spirit that seduces men on the side of the road or in an abandoned house, luring them into a nest where they are then trapped and eaten- either by her or her baby spiderlings. There are many variations of this story, but all of them often involve people being baited by the tricky spider hybrid and devoured- probably as a warning to men who commit adultery.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ \- the Jurogumo bears many resemblances to her real-life counterpart. Also possessing supernatural abilities, this spider creature was once very prominent before the Sage of Six Paths' arrival. Afterwards, people starting hunting this demon into extinction, despite the fact that they only wanted to live in peace. Naruto and his team encounter a young Jorogumo living on the edge of Isahaya- a village which was also being terrorized by the Kuchisake Onna.

* * *

 **HISTORICAL FIGURES (Non-OC characters):** (DISCLAIMER) A list of characters that have appeared throughout history that I did not create but borrowed/inserted into this story:

OOO

 **-Hanzo Hattori aka** ** _Hanzo of the Salamander_** **–** (1542 to November 4th 1586) **-** Also known as Hattori Masanari, Hanzo was a famous ninja of the Sengoku Era, living from 1542 to November 4, 1586, and is credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of varied portrayal in modern popular cultures, from anime to games. In this branch of the family, there were actually multiple descendants that shared the name Hanzo, including the man's father and his son, all of which served under the leading feudal lords of the Sengoku period. He is the subject of many legends and interpretations.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- just like in canon- Hanzo is a legendary shinobi revered as one of the most brilliant, gifted and powerful shinobi of his time. Not only is his name feared by all those who've heard of him, especially the samurai, he is also famous for not having lost a single battle, as well as defeating a contingent of Konoha shinobi led by Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru singlehandedly, and giving them the title of **_Three Legendary Sannin_** for surviving against him. He also plays a significant role in the battle against Fuma Kotaro, and is later instrumental in Nagato's rise to power in Amegakure, who he was later killed by.

OOO

 **-Fuma Kotaro** – (Unknown to 1603) - Was the name adopted by the leader of the Fuma Clan during the Sengoku Era of feudal Japan around the late 1500s to the early 1600s, and was the fifth and the best known of the five Fuma Clan leaders in history. Born on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 Rappa "battle disruptors", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, bandits and thieves. According to some records, this legendary shinobi's name was originally Kazama, which translates to 'Wind While'. A popular but fictional story says that in 1596, Kotaro was responsible for the death of Hanzo Hattori (one of the Hanzos), who had tracked the brigand to the Inland Sea but was led into a trap and defeated.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline- much like her real life counterpart- Fuma Kotaro is a notorious criminal and rogue ninja, who earned a reputation as being the greatest thief on the continent and the most dangerous and powerful kunoichi in the world, even more powerful than Madara and Hashirama. A great influence in the time-shift that occurs in the Ronin story, Kotaro became famous for nearly sparking the _Third Great Shinobi War_ prematurely- in an event that would become known as the _Kotaro Crisis_ \- and effortlessly fought and won a twelve day long battle against six Kage level shinobi that led to the sinking of several islands and an entire peninsula, which became the inland sea known as _The Demons Crossing_.

OOO

 **-Okita Soji (1842 or 1844 to July 19th 1868)** – Regarded as one of the greatest and most famous swordsmen in history, Okita was the captain of the first unit of the _Shinsengumi_ , a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. He was one of the best swordsmen of the Shinsengumi, sharing the top three seats along with Saito Hajime and Nagakure Shinpachi. Though a fine warrior, the man suffered from many health problems in his life, and supposedly died at a very young age from tuberculosis.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to his real-life counterpart, Okita is a fine warrior and a terrific swordsman, who currently holds the distinction as being the greatest swordsman in the world. He is also the leader of a group called the _Shinsengumi_ under the billionaire magnate Gato, and is apparently serving as Ryoda's bodyguard. Possessing skills and power similar to Mihawk (One Piece), using only his short-blade Okita has demonstrated the capability of generating a cutting force capable of slicing the ocean and atmosphere in half with a single swing. Though this was only a fraction of his awesome power.

OOO

 **-James Leslie 'Les' Darcy (31st October 1895 to 24th May 1917)** – Revered as a legend in his home country of Australia, Les Darcy was an Aussie boxer from the middleweight division, but also held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title during his career. Renowned for fighting in both his homeland and the United States, he had a remarkable ring record for the time period- consisting of 56 fights and only 4 losses, in which he only lost in points and was never knocked out. Possessing a muscular physique that was impervious to the heaviest blows- even from heavy weight boxers- the man was famous for having a terrifying reach and a very fierce fighting style. He was embroiled in the politics of conscription in Australia during the lead up to WWI and, after moving to the US, died of septicemia.

In the _Naruto: Maoyu_ story- similar to his real-life counterpart, Les Darcy is a boxer of great renown, and seems to have taken up a military and bodyguard role under Gato's organization. A member of the _Shinsengumi_ \- which the samurai Okita is also part of, and possessing a high rank as an officer, Les can be seen serving as a bodyguard to Gato's daughter Ryoda- until he is reassigned by the secretary to her father. His true strength is currently unknown, but for him to be given a place on the _Shinsengumi_ in the same class as Okita, must mean that he is an incredibly powerful warrior.

* * *

 **OC CHARACTERS:** A list of characters that I originally created with no alignment to any other sources or materials, who have appeared in the story so far:

 **-Kurumi Uchiha-** A raven haired girl from the Uchiha Clan and cousin to Sasuke Uchiha, she is regarded as a talented girl in the same league as her relative. Sporting curly black hair and the Sharingan, she is famed in her class for being quite tall- easily a head taller than the rest of the graduates.

She also has a deep admiration, liking, and respect for Naruto.

 **-Mirai Uchiha-** Kurumi's cousin and a regular part of their group, with long brown hair and often dresses in jumpers- this Uchiha girl who has also developed a liking for Naruto for saving her family.

 **-Yumi Uchiha-** Also a cousin of Kurumi and a regular member of their group, sporting long silver hair and often dresses in two-piece clothing- she is an Uchiha girl who has also developed a liking for Naruto for saving her family.

 **-Mae Uzumaki-** Member of the Kirigakure Genin team and an important character that appears in the Chunin Exam Arcs.

 **-Ryofu** – A mysterious member of the Kirigakure Genin team and an important character that appears in the Chunin Exam Arcs.

* * *

 **NARUTO'S HAREM (so far) :** And of course, the less important aspect kept here:

-Tayuya Hara

-Samui Shimizu

-Sakura Haruno

-Hinata Hyuuga

-Tamamo no Mae

Honorable mentions:

-Tenten

-Ino Yamanaka

-Kurumi Uchiha

That is all…


	19. Demon Hunt Arc - Home of the Strange

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Home of the Strange_

(Noon)

(The next day)

The amount of destruction brought on by the chaos that had erupted in the mountain town of Isahaya during the night became illuminated by the sun rising over the country's distant peaks. As soon as the entire valley and forest beneath the sphere fell under its warm, glowing rays, the people inhabiting the community were stunned when they got their first good look at the damages their homes and businesses had sustained. Really, after counting up the visual costs of whatever they were able to salvage from whatever was left standing, it was really a miracle that the entire population hadn't been eradicated.

The results really spoke for themselves. Looking at the entire village from a distance, it almost seemed like a hurricane had blown through the town and flipped it over. Along the main highway that cut through the main strip- particularly in the areas closest to the river- buildings had been felled, smashed to pieces or disintegrated, trees standing within the settlement had been uprooted, the side roads had trenches torn through them, and even the forests outside the village had taken on some damage.

Really, the only places that hadn't been that badly affected by the battle were the suburban districts outside of the center of Isahaya, and even then a lot of windows and fences had ended up being shattered and knocked over.

Of course, being the strong and productive members of society that they were, the residents of the village were quick to start clean-up procedures. After taking stock of the battering their town had received, they quickly assembled their entire workforce and went about clearing out all the rubble from their village's entertainment district and the surrounding neighborhoods.

It would be rough going for them, but at least they no longer had to worry about a monster wandering around their village and killing people.

Nevertheless, over in one of the still-standing houses outside of the bombed out central district, in a wooden cottage with a Red Cross sign hanging over the door, the people responsible for getting rid of the _Beast of Isahaya_ were currently holed up and recovering from their wounds. In the post-operation ward, surrounding one of the many full beds, the young members of Team 7 were gathered around their leader- who was currently lying wrapped from head to toe in bandages under the covers. They were also accompanied by the village leader Shihei and the highest ranking officer of the police forces that'd managed to survive the fight.

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had managed to make it through the night with only a handful of scrapes and bruises. While the Uchiha needed to have bandages wrapped around his waist to support the cracked ribs he'd received from being thrown into a tree, the jinchuriki and the kunoichi both only needed a couple of patches to be applied to a couple of places. Aside from that, neither of them were seriously harmed or in any bad way.

Kakashi on the other hand looked as though someone had been torturing him for the past seven hours. Not only did he have to have multiple stitches applied to several areas, but the man also sustained multiple cracked or broken ribs, a cracked shoulder blade, a bruised jaw, hairline fractures in his thumb and both forearms, and a couple of broken toes. If that wasn't bad enough, he was also suffering from severe chakra exhaustion, which meant that he would be out of commission for a week and a bit. That wasn't even counting the month he would have to take off to recover from his other injuries.

The doctors in the village really had a field day patching up the Jonin, as well as the few other policemen and civilians brought in off the street after last night's excitement. For the former patient, they'd had to strip him down in order to get to the worst of his wounds, which in the end left Kakashi looking like a newly made mummy. The good thing was that he was no longer in any pain, as the doctors had him on a morphine drip.

Due to his current state, the young members of squad seven were left standing and staring quietly at their instructor. However, it wasn't the fact that he was all wrapped up and in such a poor state that had them so interested in him, but the fact that the doctor charged with operating on the shinobi had covered Kakashi's face below the ridgeline of his nose- meaning that half his face was concealed just like it had been when he had his regular mask on.

The sight had Naruto's eye twitch and an annoyed frown tug across his lips. _"Really?"_

" _Even when he's sleeping in a hospital bed, he has his face covered?"_ Sasuke also thought. This was a line that was clearly shared by an equally irritated Sakura, who stood between the boys glaring down at their teacher.

The fact that neither one of them had ever seen their teacher's face whenever he was with them annoyed the Genin something fierce, since out of the four of them **_he_** was the most odd looking. No matter where they went or what they did, the Jonin always insisted on going out with his mask on and his face concealed. They'd even asked him on a couple of occasions why he wore his mask everywhere, to which Kakashi replied that he 'liked his privacy' and that 'he looked strange without his mask'. Obviously the kids weren't satisfied with this answer and, for the short time that they'd been together, secretly began concocting plans on trying to get the man to remove his mask- or at the very least catch a glimpse of what he was hiding underneath.

Though they hadn't tried any of these plans just yet, they figured that with patience and a little bit of luck, the universe would reveal the man's face to them itself.

Unfortunately though, it seemed like today was not going to be that day. Since he was also bedridden and recovering, the three of them couldn't really force him to remove his bandages. Not without evoking the wrath of the nurses.

Being the first of them to recover from the bewilderment of seeing their masked teacher still masked, Sakura exhaled and smiled down at the man pleasantly. "How are you feeling, sensei?"

Groaning a little as he tried to get a feel for his limbs and everything else, the Jonin gave his students his signature eye-smile. "Lucky. That's how I'm feeling right now, Sakura-chan. Thanks to Kobe-san, I should be up and about at the end of the week." His doctor was literally a life saver.

"That's a relief," Sakura sighed, leaning away and putting her hands behind her back.

"You really cut it close last night, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto informed, crossing his arms and glancing across at Tama, who was back in her tiny fox form and perched comfortably on his shoulder. "If we hadn't come across you when we did, you'd probably be dead right now."

"Yes. I would be," the silver-haired shinobi replied weakly, at the same time turning his only functioning eye towards the blond. "My energy was almost completely spent and that woman had me at knife point. If you, Sasuke-kun, Sakura-san… and your foxy friend over there hadn't shown up at that exact moment," he added while smiling across at the white kitsune draped across his student's collar, "She would've succeeded in taking me out."

The samurai lieutenant- wearing an eboshi hat and blue robes with white trim along the edges- lowered his head towards the man thoughtfully. "I imagine a feat like that is no easy task to accomplish against an experienced shinobi such as yourself. A Jonin level ninja is not an opponent many would want the pleasure of facing out in the open."

This was a fact that most of if not _all_ the people across the continent knew. Since shinobi were the most prominent military assets to exist in their era and made up a major bulk of the Elemental Nations' armed forces, there were many mercenary and militia groups who'd come to revere those who existed in the upper branches of their hierarchy. Among the ninja- Genin and Chunin level ninjas made up at least eighty percent of the shinobi across the Five Great Nations. They were the foot soldiers. The vanguard. The front liners. Since they took on the most basic of jobs provided by the communities from which they originated from, they were the most likely shinobi you were expected to encounter on the field.

However, for the most dangerous and challenging of assignments of A-Rank and above, the duties and responsibilities of these endeavors were usually handed down to the most experienced and capable of their ranks. The true warriors. The cream of the crop. The elite. And those ninja often carried the title of Jonin.

Kakashi was no exception to this rule. After the skills he demonstrated last night, he definitely earned himself that position and then some.

Shihei, stepping a bit closer to the shinobi, looked down at him seriously for a moment. "Just what exactly was this beast you encountered? Who was she?"

His expression darkening, the wounded man felt a cold chill run up his spine when an image of the woman's face popped up in his head again. This was off-putting since he was not only drained of all stamina, but he was also on pain killers. The fact that he could feel anything at this point was a miracle- or something worth dreading.

"Honestly… I have no clue," Kakashi whispered, causing the town leader and his young squad to blink in unison at the tone he spoke with. "Her skills and powers went beyond that of any man, woman or creature I'd ever faced before. Even her chakra wasn't normal at all. In fact, I could barely see it with my Sharingan- if at all. She could transform her body into mist, teleport around the battlefield, turn herself invisible, and conjure weapons out of thin air without seemingly any loss in stamina. And her strength…" The man clenched his fists at this one. "It seemed like the longer the fight went on and the angrier she got… the stronger she became. If that battle had gone on any longer, I have every right to believe she would've conjured up a storm powerful enough to wipe this entire region off of the face of the map."

Naruto gaped at this, "Whoa. Are you serious?"

"Surely you're just exaggerating," Shihei said nervously, at the same time raising his hands towards the man in disbelief. "I mean… what kind of monster is capable of doing such a thing? To destroy an entire village or an area of land?"

"From my knowledge… _few_ ," Kakashi began with a groan, at the same time looking across at his team. "Hashirama and Madara come to mind… then the nine biju residing across the shinobi nations… and a couple of the Kage from the history books." His eye then focused on Naruto, whom he saw recoil slightly when he fell under his teacher's attention. "I think… we should ask Naruto-kun's friend for her opinion."

When he felt all eyes turn to him, the jinchuriki blinked for a moment before then focusing his gaze on the white kitsune perched on his shoulder. He then smiled at the golden-eyed fox when she glanced at him, "Well, Tama-chan? What do you think?"

Seeing she was being scrutinized by Naruto's friends, teacher, and the other two high-ranking figures present, the one-tailed spirit murmured thoughtfully before speaking in her gentle, womanly voice of wisdom. _**"To be honest, I'm not sure myself."**_ While her words definitely surprised the village leader and the samurai beside him, as they didn't expect to hear the fox talk, the ninja in the room remained unfazed. _**"Whatever she was… she must've been a new kind of demon that I've never encountered before."**_

Naruto frowned at this news, while Sakura looked at the fox with a hand raised, "You must have some idea. I mean… there has to have been something you may have come across in the past that was similar to her. From the way you reacted last night, you knew right away that she was dangerous."

Dangerous was probably an understatement. Had she been left to run around freely or if they hadn't managed to send her away when they did, she would've effortlessly slaughtered every single one of them without any trouble. The only reason any of them were still standing right now was because Tama had managed to ward her off.

Seeing how powerful she actually was, then the beast they faced had been no mere ghost.

" _ **Hmm…"**_ the little fox grumbled as she racked her brain for an answer. _**"If I was to make an educated guess… that woman was probably a cursed spirit."**_ When she saw the puzzled looks appear on their faces, the kitsune elaborated. _**"She was exhibiting all the signs of one. A ghost bearing the traits of an energy vampire that feeds on the negative emotions and thoughts of others- such as hatred, sorrow, sadness, and fear. The more there was in the area, the stronger she became."**_

"That… definitely explains a lot," Sasuke chimed in from the side, while at the same time crossing his arms. After all, there was a lot of panic going on in the town- and not just the emotions that were probably being exhibited by Kakashi.

The woman definitely got a good taste of it when she started raining down hell on the entire community.

"Her regeneration and attack speed was ridiculous," Naruto said, drawing on what he remembered of their encounter the night before. The Jorogumo that they'd fought in the woods had been a tough opponent. But the woman with the scars on her cheeks, she was another case entirely. "You nailed her with one of your strongest blasts and yet she managed to jump back up like it didn't even faze her."

" _ **Cursed beings are very difficult to deal with,"**_ Tama continued, her eyes glancing from one person to another. _ **"Curses in general are tricky and are next to impossible to lift without invoking serious consequences. They play on irony. That means in order to break a curse you have to figure out what the catch is."**_ She then looked down at Kakashi and narrowed her eyes. _**"Was there something you learned while facing the ghost? Something that might help us figure out how she ended up that way?"**_

Kakashi closed his eye and thought for a moment. Feeling the eyes of all the people around his bed boring into him, the exhausted shinobi then opened his and spoke. "When I was looking into the murders around the entertainment district, I came across an old, burned down house sitting at the top of a hill at the edge of the village. After asking an old woman that was living nearby, she told me a story that her mother's best friend- Madoka Igarashi- lived there. Apparently she married a man named-"

"Haido," Shihei suddenly interjected, drawing the group's attention to him to see the slightly surprised look on his face. "Everyone in the village knows this tale. Haido was a shinobi who came from _Konohagakure_ during its founding years, on a mission chasing a rogue shinobi. When his uniform ended up being ruined in the battle, he apparently met Madoka while she was working as a seamstress in town, and asked her to fix his clothes for him. Shortly thereafter the two fell in love, married, and settled down in that house to start a family. The two of them then had a child together- a daughter- and the three of them lived happily from then on."

Hearing this had Kakashi nod, as he was able to piece the information together little by little. "Until a few years later when a fire mysteriously started inside the building and burned it to the ground, with Haido, Madoka and their child still inside." He then looked across at Tama sadly. "The old woman then said that the people in the village started seeing Madoka's ghost wandering around Isahaya at night."

Sakura, perking up in realization, then looked at Tama, "Do you think that her ghost could be the same one that Kakashi-sensei was fighting?"

The fox frowned, _**"Possibly. A specter as strong as that must've been lingering around here for quite some time… especially if whatever happened to her on that night was traumatic enough that her soul ended up being bound to this world by a curse."**_

At that moment, Shihei- who was listening intently to the story- then suddenly turned around and jogged out of the room. The group watched him leave and waited for about a minute. The sound of clattering from the corridor over soon marked the man's return, who then stopped beside Kakashi's bed with a framed painting.

It was an old painting- one that had been done of the villagers many years ago and had been left to the doctor of this hospital as a gift. After scanning over the slightly faded oil painting with his finger of the people arranged in it, Shihei then pointed out a woman- who was currently standing beside a man wearing a farmer's clothes and holding a baby in her arms.

"Is _this_ the person that you met last night?"

Kakashi, taking a good look at the painting as Shihei held it closer to him, was able to make out a fair skinned, gorgeous young woman with black eyeliner, raven hair tied into a top bun, rosy red cheeks, a beautiful smile, and wearing a red, flowering kimono with white trim. The picture was a stark contrast to the one that the Jonin remembered from last night and aside from the absence of the bloody scars drawn across her face and the surgical mask, she was the spitting image of the phantom that he had battled.

The shinobi frowned deeply, "That's her. Without a doubt."

The news brought a newfound sense of shock to the group. Though it wasn't as profound as the ordeal they'd experienced beforehand, it was still no less an incredible revelation. It certainly had Naruto's attention, who then placed his hands on his hips as he got a good look at the old painting as well.

"So… Madoka and that freaky ghost woman are one in the same person," the blond mumbled, noticing Sakura lean in to get a closer look at the picture too. "Hmm. Well that's a switch. But it still doesn't tell us how she ended up cursed in the first place."

"She was incredibly pale when I met her at the bar… and she had an ice cold chill surrounding her body," Kakashi said, doing his best to illustrate his memories of his meeting with the ghost. "Aside from an odd lilt in her voice, she seemed like a completely normal person. Any other villager wouldn't have suspected her to be a bloodthirsty killer." The man then sighed deeply. "My suspicions about her being the one were confirmed several minutes later when she nonchalantly led me down an alleyway and I confronted her directly about it. It was only after I broke her jaw and she fixed it right back into place that I realized she wasn't an ordinary assassin."

" _Nah. Yah think?"_ Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all thought at once, while at the same time giving their teacher a hilariously synchronized, subtle glare.

"Aside from her unusual combat techniques and regenerative abilities, while we were fighting she kept on repeating the question 'Am I pretty' and would wait until I answered it… even when she had me at her mercy," Kakashi informed, at the same time facing the fox on his student's shoulder. "Though I can't be a hundred percent certain, I think she may have posed this query to each of her victims before killing them. Is this something that would be part of her curse?"

Tama then nodded at this while her tail swished behind her. _**"A ghost bound to the physical plain will always unconsciously reveal some sort of clue that would tell the people she encounters that her soul is trapped… even if she doesn't mean it. So yes. That could definitely be part of her curse."**_ She then looked across at Naruto and the others. _**"As long as the spell that's over her remains active, she will never be freed."**_

"But… you got rid of her, right?" Shihei asked nervously, at the same time looking across at the Jonin. "You and your team defeated her ghost?"

"Yes. We did," Kakashi groaned while shifting a little under the covers in momentary discomfort. "While she was distracted, I sent her away using _Kamui_ \- a space-time ninjutsu technique that allows me to displace matter to another dimension. Even if she is still somehow alive, there is no way she will be able to escape the other world."

This news had the village leader sigh and place a hand over his chest, "That's a relief."

"You and your team of young ninja did Isahaya a great service last night," the samurai lieutenant standing beside Shihei informed while smiling down at the Jonin and the kids beside him. "Thanks to your timely arrival and intervention, you managed to stop the beast's spree of killings. Had you not been here, I'm pretty sure the situation would've escalated beyond our capabilities to handle, and would've led to untold numbers of casualties."

While Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura felt their chests swell with pride, the wounded Kakashi simply smiled back gratefully. "Though I appreciate the commendation, I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop her from killing your men sooner… and everyone else who got caught up in the crossfire." The shinobi's expression then fell slightly. "How many people did you lose?"

Looking at one another, Shihei then looked back at the Jonin sadly. "Including the eight victims the woman claimed in the weeks prior, about sixteen samurai ended up being slain by the demon in battle, two other civilians got caught up in one of her attacks, and a dozen more men and women were wounded."

Hearing this had Kakashi cringe and look away, "It's my fault. I should've taken care of her faster… at the very start of the fight. Maybe then I could've stopped her from taking her rage out on the village… and the people…"

Looking around at the now desponded faces of the people surrounding her, Tama looked back down at the ninja and spoke. _**"There was nothing you could've done. A foe like that was beyond anything you or anyone else could've possibly been prepared for. Not even an entire army of shinobi would've been able to match her. After all, demons and spirits aren't enemies that ordinary men are trained to fight against. Even those specially raised to battle those kinds of foes would've struggled greatly."**_ The white fox then gave a smile as her tail continued to wave about happily behind her. _**"You did well, kid."**_

Blinking at the little vixen then put a smile back on the man's face, which remained concealed beneath the bandages wrapped around his jaw. "Thanks. That… makes me feel a bit better." He then glanced back at Shihei. "Still… I'm very sorry for what happened to your town-"

The leader of the township beamed and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. You and your team just happened to be passing through the area on an entirely different mission, and we ended up roping you into our problem without fully considering how bad the situation actually was. Seeing as how neither of us knew what we were really dealing with- and being the leader of Isahaya- I'll take full responsibility for this tragedy."

"My men also died fighting for a good cause. They knew what they were signing up for," the samurai officer informed, at the same time adjusting his obi at the swords he had sheathed at his side. "Those who fell, fell in the line of duty- protecting both the village and the country. I'll be sure to inform the families personally of their good deeds… so that they understand what happened here."

Shihei nodded and looked back down at the Jonin lying on the bed in front of him. "We'll make certain that you and your team are given the proper care while you are here, and that you get paid the full amount for the job. Considering how things went and based on what happened last night, I would be remiss if I didn't raise the status from A-Rank to S-Rank."

Upon processing this, the bandaged up Kakashi turned to his young teammates and beamed. "Since the three of you supported me at the last minute, you guys will be getting your share of the mission's completion. As soon as we get back to _Konohagakure_ , in addition to the D-Rank mission you guys finished, you'll also have an S-Rank one added to your records." This news had the three of them react in their respective ways- Sakura's jaw dropping, Naruto grinning broadly, and Sasuke looking away with a cool smile. "Look at that. Just barely out of the academy and already performing jobs that only Jonin would be assigned. That's my plucky little squad for you."

"YOSH!" Naruto exclaimed brightly, only to then regret shouting so loudly when he was promptly shushed by the nurse arranging towels on the cabinet nearby. Giving an apologetic wave, the blond then sighed and looked back at his teacher. "So… umm… seeing as how you won't be able to move for a while… what should we do for the next few days, sensei?"

Murmuring as he thought about it for a moment and seeing the other members of the squad look across at him, Kakashi then put on his signature eye-smile. "I have a few ideas."

XXX

(Over the next two weeks)

Since the doctor working at Isahaya's hospital informed the visiting Team 7 that their teacher would not be allowed to move for a week, this left the young members of the squad with a lot of free time on their hands. However, being the dynamic and ambitious kids that they were, they didn't want to spend the entirety of their break in the mountain village goofing off and going soft. They wanted to use their free time to get ahead in their training, as well as polish up the skills and techniques that they were currently cultivating as a squad and as individuals.

While Kakashi was stuck inside and unable to do anything except read- if even- the Jonin was still able to flex his functions as a team leader and instructor by giving his batch of willing students lessons from his reclined state.

When they came to visit their team leader on his second day in the facility to ask him about another training routine they could do, the resting shinobi was able to pass on to Naruto and the others the instructions they needed to complete the _tree walking exercise_. On the surface it seemed like a pretty straight forward task. The technique basically involved the user concentrating a small amount of chakra to a certain part of their body- namely the soles of their feet- in order to scale steep or vertical surfaces that would normally be impossible to do by ordinary means.

As a concept, it didn't just give the practitioners the ability to negotiate trees and buildings a lot more effectively than they would under their own power, but also provided them an efficient means of training their chakra and their bodies, allowing them to better manipulate and control the energy circulating inside of them to use in both combative and non-combative environments. This was of course implied within the context of the lesson itself, which Kakashi was more than happy to go over for the group's benefit, so that it didn't seem like they were just wasting their time on something pointless.

This technique served as the basis for many more advanced skills to follow, which was more than enough to get the three of them excited for what came next.

Seeing as how their teacher was unable to demonstrate to them how the technique was supposed to function and was only able to describe to them what it was like, the kids were expected to work the physical part out for themselves for their training and learning. So, as soon as they were dismissed from the hospital, the trio immediately headed out to the nearby woods to try out the technique.

That first day of trial and error turned out to be the most hilarious of the ones to follow…

OOO

(The second day)

(Late morning)

On one of the many groves that rested on the edge of the village's suburban district, right where the forest at the base of the mountain started, the three keen and determined members of squad seven could be seen facing down three individual trees in front of them. Completely ignoring everything else around them and their eyes locked onto the three towering oak trunks, the kids spent the next couple of minutes flexing and mentally preparing themselves for the challenge to come.

Sitting nearby on a fallen log, not only was the little white fox Tama watching them with an observant gaze, but the half-spider, half-human form of the young Jorogumo was also sitting beside her, along with the seven-year-old Mako, his little sister Aoi, and their two friends from school- whom had all been present at the secret clubhouse that team seven followed them to.

Apparently the kids had really enjoyed watching Team 7 battle their spider friend and- ever since they found out they would be staying in the village for a while- had opted to follow them to see what they were going to do next. This led to them joining the adolescent members of the group out here by the woods, where they were about to undergo their next training exercise.

With a bottle of juice in her hand, the six-year-old Aoi- sporting her usual yellow dress and pigtails- kicked her feet back and forth on their tree log while watching the Genin from Konohagakure position themselves accordingly. "So… what exactly are you guys going to do?"

Naruto, hearing the question directed at them, looked across at the girl and pointed at the forest in front of him, "We're going to climb these trees."

"Climb?" Mako's shaven-head friend asked while scrunching his face up thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound too hard."

"Yeah. Even I can climb a tree," Mako spoke up, leaning back on his hands with a rather miserable look on his face. "This sounds kind of boring."

It was then Sakura's turn to speak up. "It's not as easy as it sounds," the kunoichi said while placing her hands on her bare waist, which she had exposed between her two piece, red and white qi-pao shirt and skirt combo. "The technique we're going to be practicing requires us to focus our chakra into our soles and use it to climb these trunks."

"The trick is we're not allowed to use our hands or any other body parts to complete this exercise. Just our feet," Naruto continued, at the same time looking back at his tree with a frown.

This added bit of information had the four children present give a simultaneous 'whoa'.

It was then Aoi's raven haired friend in the purple kimono gi spoke up, "Is that the same stuff that allows you to hang upside-down as well?"

Sakura nodded, "You got it."

"How does that work?" Mako asked, wanting to know more about this.

It was at this point the three kids looked at one another, before Sasuke then turned to the kids now observing them with a bit more excitement and intent then before. "It's a little bit hard to explain."

"Basically the chakra we put out from our bodies creates a vacuum effect, which allows us to stick to any surface we are trying to overcome. Whether it's a rock, or a tree, or a big cliff going hundreds of meters into the air, we should be able to scale it without any problems," Sakura informed while using her hands to illustrate the height of what they were going for. When she saw the kids look at one another and begin whispering enthusiastically, the pinkette then smiled and rolled her shoulder. "It's better that we show you guys what it is rather than use our words."

Mako's bald friend with the grey clothes raised his fists above him, "Yeah, yeah!"

"Show us! Show us!" Aoi called out, while at the same time Tama and the Jorogumo watched the scene quietly from where they were sitting.

"Alright. Let's do this," Naruto said, drawing a kunai from the pouch behind him and forming a hand seal with both his hands- at the same time Sasuke and Sakura did the same.

Together the kids closed their eyes and focused the chakra in their bodies, sending the necessary amount down to their feet. When they felt the energy pool at the soles and then stabilize moments later, the group then opened their eyes at once, leaned forward, and charged towards the forest.

"Here we go!" Sakura called out, feeling her speed increase due to the energy she'd sent into her legs.

Confidence ran high as the three Genin approached the trees- most notably the ones that they were focusing on. The instant they hit the bases, the group began hiking up the trunks at running speed, at the same time being sure to keep the chakra flow to their feet consistent and continuous.

Naruto was the first to reach his tree and begin climbing up it, with the boy grinning broadly when he felt himself leaving the forest floor. "WOOHOO! YEAH! THIS IS-GAAAAAAAH!" His exclamation was cut short when a loud crash filled the air as his foot suddenly went straight through the tree he was climbing. A split second later Naruto found himself dangling a few feet precariously above the ground, with his leg stuck in the trunk.

Sasuke meanwhile, after climbing a couple meters higher, suddenly felt his sole slip and- clicking his tongue in annoyance- the boy cut the trunk with his kunai, kicked off of the tree, flipped through the air, and touched down on the grass. The instant he landed, the Uchiha looked up at the oak he'd been climbing and frowned.

" _Damn… I didn't realize how difficult it was to keep the chakra flowing through your feet,"_ Sasuke thought, at the same time analyzing the distance he'd covered. Seeing he'd managed about five meters, the boy then narrowed his brow thoughtfully. _"Okay. So too little chakra and your grip on the surface loosens."_ Hearing Naruto's cursing filling the air, the boy looked across at his blond teammate to see him struggling to get his leg out of the trunk. The sight had him smirk a little in amusement. _"Too much and you go through it… like him."_ Typical.

Upon seeing what'd happened, the kids watching on the trunk broke out into laughter while pointing up at the dangling jinchuriki.

"Ka-ha-ha! Did you see that?!" Mako called out while patting his friend on the shoulder, "He went through the trunk!"

"He broke the tree! He broke it!" Aoi's friend also laughed, at the same time throwing her hands in the air and waving them. "Do it again!"

Hearing their audience cackling at him put an annoyed tick on Naruto's head, who then threw his fists about while glaring down at the youngsters. "DAMN IT! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! STUPID TREE!" he called out, quickly grabbing the trunk at the sides of his leg and, gritting his teeth, yanked his leg out. The instant he did, he then grabbed the kunai he'd embedded in the wood and sprang off of the log all cool style. He then landed on the grass beside Sasuke and glared back at his trunk. "Ack. I lost focus."

"Same here," Sasuke chimed in agreement, at the same time locking onto the trunk. "Looks like we're just going to have to keep practicing."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Naruto said, spinning the knife on his finger before taking it into his grip again. "Alright. Let's give it another go!" He then smirked across at the boy next to him. "After you, your majesty."

The little title jab had Sasuke smirk back at the blond and also take his knife back up into a proper hold. Just before the two of them were moving back into running stances, the duo then heard the sound of someone familiar call out to them. "Hey! Watcha' guys doing down there?!" Blinking in unison, both of them then looked up towards the tops of the trees they were attempting to climb.

After a few seconds of searching, the pair found to their surprise Sakura was sitting on one of the highest branches of her tree- her knife embedded next to her and a big, victorious grin plastered across her face. Unbeknownst to both of them, their kunoichi teammate had not only blown past their marks of four and five meters respectively, but she had managed to run past the first three branches of her tree and reach the fourth one with seemingly no problems whatsoever.

And now the girl was sitting perched up at her first mark with her feet dangling over the side and her tongue sticking out.

"Come on. It's lonely up here," the pinkette chirped.

Naruto, straightening up, placed his hands on his hips and grinned. "Damn, Sakura-chan! I knew you were good at controlling your chakra! But I didn't know you were _that_ good! Way to go!" He said this while punching a fist up towards her.

Blushing a little at the boy's compliment, the pink-haired girl placed a hand against her face momentarily before leaning forward. "The trick is to focus on the target area of each step. Don't worry about how the other people beside you are doing or where you yourself are going. Just concentrate on making each of your steps count and you guys will do fine." She then removed the knife she had stuck into the branch and hopped down from her perch, hiking off of another branch, then the trunk, and then touching down on the floor.

Sasuke smirked when he saw the girl saunter over to them. "It's that simple, huh?"

When they saw Sakura nod, Naruto then flexed his arm out and grinned confidently as well. "If that's the case, then I'm going to go at this tenfold." He then brought his hands about, formed them into his cross-fingered hand seal, and concentrated. _**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**_ (Shadow Clone Technique) In a series of shimmers, the blond managed to create two dozen copies of himself, which quickly filled up the grove behind him.

The sight of the jinchuriki duplicating himself twenty times caused Mako and his friends to gape in awe, with even the Jorogumo girl putting her hands together and clapping with a smile on her face. Though all of them remembered seeing the boy produce copies of himself during the forest battle, this was the first time they were able to watch the technique up close and in the daylight. Needless to say, it looked just as impressive as it did in a combat situation.

While Sasuke and Sakura were initially confused as to why their delinquent teammate would create the copies in the first place, the answer was soon revealed to them when they saw the twenty or so Naruto clones take up their kunai and assume running stances. The original then turned to his legion of doppelgangers and directed their attention towards the rest of the forest behind him, while at the same time smiling across at his teammates.

"An interesting little trick I found out about using this jutsu is that whenever one of my clones disappears, I'm able to take in everything they were able to learn and experience while they were active- including information and muscle memory. Since all of these guys will be practicing this move at the exact same time, I should be able to get to the top of this tree in no time at all," Naruto explained, at the same time raising a fist confidently.

This information had Sasuke frown a little, "That's… kind of annoying." Honestly, if the blond was able to do this on a regular basis, he could accelerate his learning and training as many times as he wanted without any problems. Though the kid was smart and physically gifted in his own right- including terrific strength and stamina- this newly discovered element gave him a much bigger advantage. And not just in battle either, as it turns out.

Naruto then smiled back at the Uchiha, "Oh, come on, teme. There's nothing wrong with getting a bit more of an edge in your sessions. For something as simple as this, you can use whatever you want to speed things up and get stronger. As long as it doesn't involve grabbing or holding onto the tree with more than your feet, _anything_ goes." He then turned to Sakura. "Isn't that right?"

The pinkette nodded back at the blond affirmatively. "Yeah. Of course."

Thinking on it for a moment, the Uchiha was then struck with an idea of his own. This in the end put a smile back on his face and, with a moment of concentration, he activated his Sharingan. "Okay. If you say so," the boy said, his tomoe spinning into view as his irises turned red.

Naruto then pointed at the boy enthusiastically. "Now _there's_ the Sasuke I know." He then directed his attention back to his clone army and raised his hand. "Troops! Are you ready?!" When he heard the simultaneous outcry of 'yeah' shouted back at him, the original blond then waved them into the woods and ran ahead. "Then let's go! CHAAAARGE!"

Sasuke, Sakura and their small audience on the sidelines then watched with interest as the platoon of Narutos sprinted into the forest, all screaming at the tops of their lungs like a group of soldiers leaving the safety of their trench to take the enemy stronghold. It was quite an intriguing sight to see so many clones going towards a couple of different targets at the same time and in the exact same fashion as each other.

However, as cool as the display was, the entire thing fell apart the moment they started climbing. Reaching the trees at virtually the same time, just a few seconds of running up the trunks, almost every single Naruto- including the original- all let out simultaneous yelps of alarm when they all fell back towards the forest floor at the same time. Grunts and thuds rang out when the two dozen doppelgangers all ended up crashing on top of each other, creating three piles of groaning bodies that all eventually dispelled into identical puffs of smoke.

This left the original Naruto lying sprawled out on his back, with a dazed look on his face and his black shirt all smudged and muddy from being practically dog-piled on by his squad of clones.

"Ooohhh… did I… did I make it to the top?" the clearly stunned and disoriented Naruto asked no one in particular, his headband hanging lopsided over his forehead. "Is the view… amazing?"

Almost at once, all the kids, including Tama, Sasuke, and Sakura, all burst out laughing at seeing their blond friend get taken out by- well- himself. If there was an award for hardest wipe-out given to anyone in the world, it would definitely have to be given to the jinchuriki, without question. That was probably the most hilarious thing any of them had ever seen.

It only took a few seconds for the boy to recover from his little fall. As soon as he was back on his feet and had straightened up his head protector, the blond produced another three dozen clones and went at it a second time- not ready to give up just yet. During which time, Sakura and Sasuke also went after their targets with a renewed surge of energy and self-assurance, determined not to fall behind their whiskered teammate, who was right now pulling out all the stops to get ahead of them.

Doing much better than before, the Genin dove into their exercise and assaulted it with all the grit and fortitude they could muster- trying, failing, and recovering repeatedly to get the technique just right. If they could scale to the tops of their selected trees without any effort whatsoever- and do so recurrently without fail- then they knew they will have completed their task to its fullest. They just had to keep trying till they've reached their respective peaks.

Until then, the pain and punishments resulting from their learning would have to continue. While Naruto and his squadrons of copies filled the forest with collective yelps and thuds every time one or _all_ of them fell whenever they couldn't stick, Sasuke went up his target using a repetitive practice that would ensure his progress was smooth and ongoing. The Sharingan also helped him to copy his teammate's successes and insert it into his own footwork. Sakura at the same time went about strengthening her control, using the advantage of her skill at molding and manipulating chakra to march up her obstacle at a much more satisfying rate than her boy teammates- showing out of the three of them that she held the most competence in this area.

Despite their setbacks, none of their falls stopped the three of them from working hard, and for the rest of the day the youngsters kept at it- pausing only to use the bathroom and to grab something to eat.

OOO

The tree walking exercise made up for a bulk of the group's time spent in the village. Day in and day out Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were out there in the woods working their chakra, refining their control over it, and using it to run up their respective trees. During the times they weren't training, they could be found wandering the village and helping the people fix up their destroyed homes and businesses, which not only bolstered the civilians' morale, but also raised their confidence and gratitude toward the team's presence.

Because of their generosity, the trio were offered free meals and drinks by the shop owners they assisted, who'd managed to save a lot of their stock in the storehouses they had built on the edges of the town. They were rewards the Genin were incredibly grateful for- though they each personally believed went beyond generous. It was a compliment of the highest order and definitely made the group feel more welcomed to the community.

As for their nights, due to the fact their teacher was currently holed up in hospital, the younger members of the group had been relegated to the garden of the facility, where they were able to set up tents and sleeping bags to rest in. Not only was this a more affordable way for them to remain out of town, but it also gave the kids more experience sleeping out under the stars, which they knew they would be doing a lot of over the course of their respective careers.

It wasn't bad at all. The nights did allow the trio to chat, count the stars, and take in the brisk, fresh air of the mountain region. It sure as hell put the views of _Konohagakure_ to shame, especially since the village was made up mostly of large apartment buildings and businesses.

In between their training and meal breaks, the trio would also hang out with Mio Hirasawa's family and play games with the children they were originally hired to entertain for the eldest son's birthday for the one evening. Since they didn't have much else to do here, spending time with the single-mother and her children was a welcome change of pace from their normal grinding, and provided the Genin another experience that was worth keeping in mind for future jobs.

Being accommodating as well as pleasant to speak with, went well with customers- as their teacher said.

Coincidentally, their presence at the family's house made Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke really popular among the children in the village, many of whom turned out to greet the ninja and participate in activities with them- including the young Jorogumo, who wisely chose to maintain anonymity at the edge of the town, in the woods where she was safe. The children were all sure to keep her a secret for the time the ninja were there, especially since they were able to play games with the white fox that the jinchuriki had as a partner.

The entire experience would've been considered a terrific holiday for Team 7, though it was only a short reprieve in waiting for their teacher to recover. In addition to their wandering around Isahaya, the trio would also take short excursions out into the woods and to the many landmarks surrounding the merchant village. They went up to visit a shrine at the top of the tallest mountain in the area, the logging cabin that was famed for shipping timber to many of the other towns in the lowlands, a brewery where sake was made, the toboggan slides on one of the far hills, and the waterfall that fed into the river that flowed through the town.

As planned, Sakura also got her picture taken on the bridge, with the parts of the village that hadn't been damaged in the battle with Kuchisake Onna framed in the background. The whole team managed to get their photos taken, which they also planned to have taken with Kakashi when he was finally dismissed from hospital.

Aside from the sightseeing, the second week the trio of youngsters had also started on more combat training. Working together the Genin were given the opportunity to polish up their technique work, speed, and hand seals, with Naruto using a good chunk of their hours giving Sakura strength building exercises and more taijutsu lessons.

Like with Tayuya, he increased the intensity of every subsequent workout, to the point the girl was practically on the verge of collapse at the end of each session. Of course, even on the brink of passing out Sakura- wanting to get better at combat- continuously asked Naruto for more, which the blond was more than happy to oblige.

He wasn't selfish when dishing out his time either. Out on the edge of the forest, the jinchuriki divided some his sessions working with both Sasuke and Tama respectively as well. With the Uchiha, Naruto sparred his fellow talent using only taijutsu, while the raven haired genius had the handicap of fighting with jutsu in his arsenal- as they were really the only way he was able to even remotely contest with his ridiculously strong and fast teammate. Fighting with the delinquent was always an uphill battle and a workout in one. However, while the blond had the upper hand against his squad members- who were the same age and league as him- he always consistently got his butt kicked by Tama.

By this point the little fox was able to fight with Naruto in her two-tailed anthropomorphic form- in which she battled him using both human and animalistic movements to throw him off. This made it much more difficult for Naruto to combat her properly and gave him plenty of opportunities for practice against more unconventional enemies. But in the end, he always wound up losing and having to limp back to the campsite sporting more bruises and scrapes than he could count, which served to entertain both Sakura and Sasuke immensely.

One afternoon, towards the end of their rest period in Isahaya, all three members of Team 7 attempted to gang up on Tama to see how well they stacked up to the spirit fox in comparison: as both individuals and as a team. Understandably, after a very intense few minutes and some very solid formations, the group ended up being pinned under the giant fox's paw in a battered heap, who barked at them a well-earned 'good job' following their embarrassing and one-sided ordeal.

Simply watching the team walk back together hanging off of one another's shoulders in support and laughing with one another over how badly they got destroyed by the kitsune, was perhaps one of their most memorable moments spent out there in the mountains.

By the time their days were up, not only had the trio come out of the mission stronger than before, but with a much deeper sense of appreciation for their roles as shinobi.

OOO

(Morning)

When Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura greeted Kakashi outside the hospital on the morning they'd been scheduled to leave, the group of youngsters found their shinobi leader supporting himself on a wooden crutch, with his uniform patched up, and a new jacket hanging off of his shoulders- the latter of which had been given to him by a grateful merchant.

Aside from the village leader Shihei, a large number of the other townsfolk had also turned out to say their farewells to the team. The most standout of the people to meet the squad outside the hospital gate was of course Mio, and her son and daughter. Both Mako and Aoi looked as though they were close to breaking out in tears, as both of them knew they had to say goodbye to the Genin who'd spent so much time with them- as well as given the oldest sibling a birthday memory he would never, ever forget.

The elders amongst the crowd of over a dozen people to come out could only chuckle in amusement as the brother and sister did their best to hold back their sobs and sniffles.

"C-Come see us again soon, okay!" Mako whimpered as he looked across at the three older children, at the same time biting his bottom lip to hold back the waterworks.

Aoi nodded affirmatively as she wiped her cheeks on the back of her hand, "We'll miss you! Sakura-san! Naruto-san! Sasuke-san!"

Doing her best to not show her emotions too much either, the kunoichi in the team, standing front and center of the squad in her two-piece red and white uniform, gave the pair of children a thumbs-up. "No worries."

"I'm sure you guys will be hearing from us real soon," Naruto added at the end, standing before the crowd sporting his long-sleeved black shirt, orange pants, white obi, and his blue scarf _Aijo_ wrapped high around his neck. With Tama also sitting perched on his shoulder, the little white fox gave a very happy bark to the children and wagged her tail. "Believe it." Their combined statements had Sasuke- also dressed in his usual all black top and shorts- turn away and smirk.

"My, my. I can't believe how popular you guys are around here. Must have missed out on quite a lot while I was stuck in bed," Kakashi chirped down at his team, who he could see were all smiling proudly and appearing as though they were really going to miss this place. Turning to the village leader, the Jonin then bowed his head to the man. "Thank you for inviting us into your village and looking after us. My team and I really appreciated the hospitality."

"It was our pleasure," Shihei replied, bowing back, before stepping towards the shinobi and handing him a thick envelop and scroll. "Thanks for everything… and have a safe trip. You guys definitely need it."

When Kakashi took the documents, checked them, and then slipped them into Sasuke's backpack, the shinobi beamed back at the townsfolk. "Will do." He then turned about on his crutch and gestured for Naruto and the others to follow. "Come on, team. Let's go home."

With one last wave, the trio of youngsters turned around and began marching down the road alongside their teacher, during which they were given a well-earned send off by the people. The children all waved ecstatically and the adults all smiled brightly, watching as the backs of the unlikely band of heroes who'd fought so bravely for their little home disappeared into the distance.

On their way out of Isahaya, Sakura had one last opportunity to take their group's team photo on the village's immaculate bridge. There, the three Genin stood side by side with the kunoichi in the center, and Kakashi hanging off of them as healthily as he possibly could while a helpful villager snapped the picture of them. Christening this as their official team photograph and marking the end of a successful adventure, the entire squad then left the town at their leisure.

As soon as the group found themselves marching down the main highway back into the heart of _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire), the team once again fell into their usual routines. While Naruto and Sakura enjoyed a pleasant chat with one another, Sasuke simply appreciated the sights and sounds of the mountains and valleys around him- all of which started to gradually thin out the further south they descended.

"All in all, I'd say that was a pretty great mission," Naruto said, hands in his pants pockets as he smiled across at his kunoichi teammate. "I mean, you couldn't have asked for anything more fantastical or spooky. A four-person quest to a small, outskirt mountain town to the north of the country, being plagued by a murderous creature? That's like… the fifth chapter in an epic adventure novel series."

"Yeah. I can definitely agree with that." Hands behind her, Sakura felt her spirit lift with the footsteps she took, "I mean, even without the ghost woman attacking the people in town, the main mission itself went by pretty smoothly."

"No doubt. And not only that, but we're walking away with two successful assignments under our belt," Naruto nodded, before then looking back at their teacher behind them. "So, sensei? How do you think we did?"

The Jonin, using the crutch to help him move along at his students' paces, then broke out his signature smile towards them and answered in a cheerful voice, "I believe you guys performed your jobs admirably. In terms of mission efficiency, conduct, teamwork, and attitude, you guys scored a perfect ten on all counts." Kakashi then looked down at Sasuke, whom he saw glance up at him curiously. "And _that_ … is how a shinobi should treat their clients. Thanks to your group's focus on customer care, wellbeing, and delivering satisfaction, you guys have insured a greater potential for repeat business in the future."

Hearing their team leader cap off the same lecture he'd given them weeks prior on their arrival to Isahaya had the three members of the team grinning broadly on the inside. Naruto of course couldn't help but wipe his nose with his thumb and face the road ahead of them brightly, while Sakura giggled to herself at the grade their teacher had practically handed down to them. Their increase in positivity helped to speed up the pace of their walks, which became evident by how the kunoichi managed a skip between her strides.

"Well… one assignment done, another one to follow," Sasuke commented, closing his eyes as they strolled along.

That's how it was in the life of a shinobi. They were always busy. Always on the move. It was a fact that Naruto and Sakura knew well enough by this point, and something that Kakashi had a wealth of experience to back up. After more than two weeks away from home, when they finally returned to _Konohagakure_ , they knew they would have another mission to go on. Chances were of course that it would be another D-Rank job.

However, with some luck, the young members of Team 7 were hoping that the next assignment they went on was a C-Rank one or higher.

They would still have to wait for their teacher to fully recover though, which shouldn't take too long after he checks himself into the hospital.

As the squad walked along, the arrangement in their walk changed and shifted slightly. While Kakashi and Sasuke walked on ahead and Tama fell asleep on Naruto's shoulder, both he and Sakura ended up walking side by side and appreciating the peace and serenity of their surroundings. It was about a few minutes after their group's switch around a content kunoichi then blinked when she noticed someone was missing from their entourage.

Glancing across at the blond, the pinkette then asked him the question that'd been gnawing at the back of her head, "By the way, Naruto-kun. What happened to Spider-chan? Didn't you say that she would be coming back with us to _Konohagakure_?"

Slowing his pace and looking ahead to see Kakashi and Sasuke still walking a few yards away, the whiskered delinquent then grinned at Sakura. "Oh. You haven't noticed?" He then glanced to the right of the dirt road they were following and whispered, as if he were addressing someone standing at a distance from them. "Okay. You can come out now."

The instant he said this, Sakura jumped a little in surprise when she saw- materializing out of thin air like the Predator- the large, pony-sized form of the Jorogumo that the kids had fought back in the forest come into full focus. Her eight-legged, half-spider, half-human form shimmering into view after having been concealed using an invisibility technique, the female arachnid revealed herself to the pair in all her half-spider glory.

Still sporting Naruto's large white and blue jacket and a newly acquired skirt over the humanoid portion of her body, the white-haired, red-eyed demon girl had her hands clasped in front of her and a cheerful smile in play. When she saw Sakura relax and the jinchuriki smile at her, the hybrid spider raised a hand and waved. "Hello."

Sakura, smiling back, waved as well before looking at Naruto, "Wow. I didn't know she could do that." All this time she'd been walking alongside them and none of them had even noticed her- not even Kakashi.

Talk about stealthy.

"I found this out a couple of nights before we left. Apparently she's got a whole bunch of cool abilities up her sleeve, so sneaking her into the village should be no problem at all," the jinchuriki said back, feeling incredibly excited at the prospect of sneaking one another Konoha's nose again. Being sure to keep an extra eye on Kakashi, Naruto looked back at the arachnid tiptoeing alongside them and beamed at her. "Hmm… we should probably come up with a new name for her. If she's going to be hanging out with us, she's going to need a proper one."

"Good point." Sakura, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, looked around them for a moment in consideration. After passing by another line of trees and feeling the pair's eyes firmly on her, the pink-haired kunoichi smiled and looked back. "How about… Aya? That seems like a pretty cute and easy name to remember."

"Aya? Aya-chan?" Naruto repeated a couple of times, before looking across at the spider girl and beaming at her. "What do you think? Do you like it?" Seeing the six-eyed beauty brighten up and nod her head enthusiastically, the delinquent youngster looked back at Sakura and shrugged. "We got a winner. Nice going."

"Hoosha," Sakura cheered to herself, at the same time the duo saw the arachnid girl disappear into thin air again as she reactivated her invisibility. This being the first time she'd become a part of one of the blonde's little secrets, the kunoichi couldn't help but feel elated and honored at the opportunity. "I bet your apartment is going to end up quite crowded from here on out."

What with so many spirits and people already surrounding the delinquent youngster, it was hard not to think about how the jinchuriki was now going to cope living in his six-tatami mat home. Especially since he already had Tayuya, Tama, Aijo and Suiro living in his apartment block. Imagining how he was going to fit someone as large as a Jorogumo into that mix kind of had Sakura a little bit concerned at his living space.

"Ah, I'm sure I'll be able to manage," Naruto waved, at the same time looking ahead of him with a broad grin in play. "I am the master of the impossible."

Sakura giggled, "True."

By this point, Kakashi and Sasuke had noticed the two other Genin of their team had fallen behind, with the silver-haired adult looking behind him and calling out. "Hey. You guys are trailing a little too much. Hurry it up."

Apologizing to their teacher, both Naruto and Sakura sped up, quickly catching up to their fast-moving companions. With Isahaya now moving further and further behind them, and the path towards _Konohagakure_ growing wider and easy going, the squad was promised a quick and uneventful trip home.

So long as they didn't pass through another haunted village, they would be fine.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	20. Chunin Exam Arc I - Grand Chunin Exams

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Grand Chunin Exams_

(Over the next three weeks)

The incident involving Kuchisake Onna back in the mountain village of Isahaya was a memory that would definitely be lingering in the minds of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi for quite a while. When they eventually returned to _Konohagakure_ a couple days after leaving the quiet little town, the group quickly relayed the success of their two assignments to the Hokage, who in a way was incredibly astonished at the tale the group had to tell.

While some of the details of the incident remained blank and in some parts unknown- as the four members of the squad were only able to disclose to the woman the things they were able to directly take away from the experience itself- the S-Ranked assignment that they'd wound up accomplishing in that town was still regarded as a success. Nevertheless, since they didn't know whether or not the ghost had been permanently dealt with, as Naruto's friend Tama had explained to them two weeks earlier, Kakashi made sure to advise Mikoto that a warning needed to be put out on the scar-faced ghoul and have her classified as an S-Ranked threat in the bingo book.

Based on what she was able to subtract from their account and considering it was one of her village's finest passing this information on to her, Mikoto took the team's collective words to heart, and made a reminder to herself to send the information along to the necessary branch of the administration office as soon as possible.

Eventually, once both mission reports had been logged into their respective files, the members of Team 7 were then dismissed from the tower and sent home. Seeing as how their Jonin instructor was still in a condition that would render him unfit for field work for a little while longer, the trio of youngsters were given free rein to do whatever they wanted to do for the next few days while they waited for him to recover. Though Mikoto said that she would try to find them some work in the meantime, considering all of the other Genin teams had taken on a lot of the workload for the period, this didn't seem very likely.

So, over the next week since their return to the village, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were able to focus their interests on other things.

For the blond delinquent, his first order of business involved introducing his new Jorogumo friend to her surroundings, which understandably came with its own share of amusing moments…

OOO

(That night)

"And this is my home," Naruto exclaimed, stopping on the side of the road and gesturing grandly up at the two-story apartment building that rested on the east side of the village, while at the same time his fox companion listened intently from her position on his shoulder. Grinning broadly despite having just completed an incredibly long journey home, the youngster made sure to put on the best welcome face he could muster, which coincidentally is what he usually had whenever he was addressing his friends. "What do you think?"

Tama also asked the same question in the form of a cheerful and encouraging 'yip.'

His white-haired, half-human, half-spider companion, who had re-materialized out of the air to look up at where the boy was pointing, put her hand to her chin and tilted her head. "S-So big."

"Right?" the blond chirped, before gesturing for the spider to follow as he stepped onto the property. Passing the wooden fence and following the winding footpath through the garden, Naruto began giving her a guided tour of the sweeping establishment. "Though this is a very big place, only a couple of people are currently living here with us- including the manager." He then pointed across the way towards the line of apartments on the ground floor. "Our friend Anko-san lives in Apartment 1A over there. She's a kunoichi in our village's ANBU."

"ANBU?" Aya asked, walking after the boy's shadow while listening to what he had to say.

"An elite, special task force ninja. Very important. Very secret," Naruto informed, before then pointing towards the second floor above. "On our level there is Gedo-san- a store owner who lives a few doors down from our place. And over there at the end is _my_ apartment. Apartment 2A." He said all this while directing the spider's attention to the two respective flats along the walkway, with the door at the far side being where his home was.

However, before taking her up the stairs to his place, the blond first led the girl through the tunnel to the back of the building. When he and Aya passed under the light brown curtains hanging over the archway, they quickly entered the cobble-stoned wash up area, with the steaming pools of the hot springs resting a few feet away.

The glistening pond looked absolutely inviting, especially when it was surrounded by its own Feng Shui garden. "And this is our open baths- a private hot spring that everyone in our apartment complex can use whenever we want."

" _ **Ribbit."**_

"Oh yes. And it's also the place where I'm letting my friend Suiro stay," Naruto added when he heard the familiar croak of the water demon he knew was pretending to act like a frog for… _reasons_.

The young Jorogumo blinked when she heard the name and the noise. "Suiro?"

At the moment she asked that question, she and Naruto then saw a green amphibian the size of a large toad hop into view. When the pair looked down at it, they saw a frog-like creature with human hands, an indent in its head filled with water, and a turtle shell on its back staring back at them. While most people would think the creature was some kind of weird, mutated animal, the blond knew better and simply smiled at it.

"Hey, frogman. How are you doing?" the blond asked, with Tama also barking in greeting.

The frog smiled back and shrugged. _**"Pretty good. The water is smooth, the night is cool, and so am I."**_ The amphibian's eyes quickly landed on the half-human, half-spider girl standing alongside the blond. _ **"Ah. I see you've brought another companion home with you. A young Jorogumo by the looks of it."**_

The delinquent smirked and pointed across at the six-eyed spirit. "This here is Aya. She's going to be shacking up with us for a little while. So it would be really awesome if you can make her feel welcome… being a fellow demon and all."

Nodding affirmatively, the little water spirit raised a flipper and waved at the spider. _**"Good evening, miss."**_

Remembering her manners, Aya gave the frog a courteous bow. "N-Nice to meet you." Upon which she was then led out of the hot springs by Naruto and back towards the main garden.

Turning the corner, the pair then headed up the metal stairs, with Naruto leading the way and the Jorogumo's footsteps tip-tapping directly behind him. Thankfully, due to how wide the walkways and passages were, it was quite easy for the enlarged spider to maneuver about- allowing her to avoid other obstacles that normally would've hampered her progress.

When they eventually reached the blonde's apartment on the top floor, Naruto put his ear up a little to hear if anyone was in. After Tama hopped off of his shoulder, the blond delinquent removed the key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it. "And… this is my apartment." Promptly stepping through, the youngster found his home brightly lit, and his red-haired roommate kneeling at their center table reading from her book. "Hey, Tay-chan. I'm home."

Hearing her friend's cheerful entrance and Tama's familiar bark, the girl wearing the oversized white shirt and underwear looked across at the entrance, and grinned when she saw the spiky haired youngster step through. "Hey, shithead. You were gone for a pretty long time. How was your mission?"

"Oh, it was… a little more eventful than expected," Naruto replied rather awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head as Tama walked past him and into their room. When the vixen hopped onto their table and received a gentle pat from Tayuya, the blond delinquent then propped his hands on his hips. "A lot of weird crap happened in that village that I'm sure even you'd have a hard time believing."

Tayuya smirked and looked up at the youngster, "Try me."

"In a minute. But first, I think I should introduce you to my new friend," the blond said, at the same time stepping aside. "Just… please… whatever you do, don't freak out."

Before the redhead could question what he meant, the kunoichi then spotted in the doorway a head poking into view. At first recoiling a little when she swore she saw four eyes looking at her, her surprise was multiplied even further when, from the walkway, she saw a human body followed by the enormous spider body of the Jorogumo girl slowly creep into view. Had it just jumped into the room without warning, Tayuya was pretty sure she would've had a heart attack. But even when the girl had slowly and nervously walked in, the redhead couldn't help but scramble to her feet in alarm.

"WHOA! Holy shit!" Tayuya exclaimed rather loudly, her own eyes wide as she looked the giant spider girl now standing in front of her in alarm. "Sh-Shithead? What in the…? How…? What the fuck?"

Naruto chuckled while scratching his head, "Tayuya-chan, meet Aya. Aya… Tayuya-chan." He gestured between the two, watching on pins and needles as the arachnid girl nervously bowed her head in greeting to the flute player. When he looked back at his roommate, he saw the kunoichi was opening and closing her eyes in a way to help her determine whether she was hallucinating or not. "Well? Now that you see her… what do you think?"

Tayuya shook her head dumbly. "D-Did you… cut some poor girl in half and stick her body on top of a giant spider?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Naruto replied almost immediately. He then gestured to the nervous arachnid standing beside him. "My team and I ran into her in the forest outside of the village we were visiting. When we learned that her mother had disappeared and left her alone in the woods to fend for herself, I decided to bring her back to the village to take care of her."

Stepping forward and getting closer to the spider girl, the understandably cautious Tayuya looked her over up and down. Poking at one of the girl's carapace legs and seeing her lift it away in response, the flute player chuckled in amazement. "Wow."

"Cool? Huh?"

"Yeah. Damn. And I thought I'd seen some weird stuff before, but this one just takes the cake," Tayuya chirped, ogling the girl for a few moments longer. When she realized what she'd just said, the flute player quickly looked up at the Jorogumo apologetically. "Oh. S-Sorry. I didn't mean anything bad by that."

Noticing the confused look come over Aya's face, Naruto gave a wry smile and looked across at his roommate. "It's okay. I don't think she understands a lot of expressions yet. When I found her, she was hanging out with a bunch of six year olds, so I think the best she knows is just some first and second grade language."

"Oh. Well… that's something," Tayuya murmured, looking up at the arachnid and propping her hands on her hips. "Man. It looks like you've got your work cut out for you."

"I know, right?" Naruto replied, before looking across at Aya and, with a smile, patted the girl on the shoulder. When the Jorogumo looked at him, the blond spoke. "But I'm not worried. I know that with the proper care and training, she's going to fit right in here with us."

Observing her blond friend for a moment and seeing how happy and excited he was, helped to bring a cheerful look to the flute player's face. When she stepped over to him, she wrapped her fingers tentatively around his forearm. As soon as his eyes were on her again, Tayuya spoke. "You really have a heart of gold, Naruto-kun."

The delinquent grinned, "Thanks."

After sharing a look with him, the flute player then turned to their newfound guest. "So… why don't you tell me what happened?"

OOO

After Naruto told Tayuya all about his team's adventure to Isahaya, in which he covered not only his group's encounter with Aya, but also their harrowing brush with the ghost woman and how they got rid of her, the pair then went about discussing possible places around the apartment where the spider girl could stay. Seeing as how she was so big she would need a place with a lot of room and access to outside, not to mention it had to be discreet. Following a quick debate and deliberation, the pair eventually found out that the ceiling above them had a large attic for storage.

Accessing it via the dropdown ladder, the pair then led Aya inside, where they found a solid floor, a few empty boxes, and a large window that can be opened for access outside. Seeing that it was also safe and warm, Naruto then went about preparing a futon for the young Jorogumo. But as it turns out, he didn't really need to get her one, as the girl was able to web herself up a comfy little hammock to sleep in. She quickly made herself right at room- right above the heads of the two Genin.

Once all that was over and done with, Naruto collapsed into his own futon downstairs, with Tayuya and Tama right next to him.

The week that followed ended up as a self-studying period for the members of squad seven. Without any assignments scheduled for them to perform and with nothing but empty time on their hands, the group of three took it upon themselves to make their days as productive and eventful as possible. Thanks to the bonus they got from Kakashi splitting his share of the S-Rank mission's profits with his Genin, it also meant they didn't have to worry about long stretches of unemployment.

Sasuke of course concentrated most of his efforts and attention on personal training, which he mostly partook within the safety and confines of his clan compound. With help from a couple of his shinobi relatives who were off duty, the child was able to pound out a decent amount of shurikenjutsu and taijutsu sessions, as well as hone some of his ninjutsu techniques out by the district's main river. While most of this isolated training was done out of an effort to polish up the execution, strength and speed of his many tricks and skills, the boy also did it out of a need to be outdoors and keep active. Considering his squad was going to be out of commission for a little while longer, the child was feeling incredibly restless and high strung- so he decided to make as good a use of his time as he could.

Naruto on the other hand had plenty of things on his plate to occupy himself with.

Not only did he have to teach Aya about the ways of human society and focus on his personal growth as a fighter, but he also had the task of kicking the hundred delinquent kids and teenagers he'd recruited to become part of his new hidden leaf vigilante group into shape- or however Tayuya romantically phrased it.

Thanks to the efforts of the infamous _Gold and Red Foxes_ , every single gang and hoodlum that'd previously been skulking around the village's dark alleys, trashing houses and painting graffiti over walls, were surprisingly no longer a problem for the village's local shinobi enforcers. In fact, the would-be jinchuriki and his roommate, who had initially spent the last few years terrorizing these ruffians, had slowly started transforming the mobs of wayward punks into their own private organization of shinobi trainees- whose one and only goal was the protection and preservation of Konoha.

Rallying together such a group of roughnecks and delinquents seemed like a near impossible task- what with each collection's conflicting ideologies and interests. However, due to the knowledge that Naruto and Tayuya had pretty much punched and kicked their way to the top of the Konoha underbelly pyramid, and cemented themselves as the de facto underground bosses of the hidden leaf, pooling all of these troublesome kids together was an easy task.

Their reputations and fear derived from their names pretty much insured full cooperation from all of them.

But while getting them together was one thing; having them train and work together was another matter entirely.

Naruto and Tayuya knew they had to take this process in steps- or else they ran the risk of losing all of their "recruits". In order to make these previously rebellious kids into an effective machine- as well as potential shinobi in the future- they had to hammer out all the unnecessary elements, refine the preexisting skills, rinse and repeat. With his kunoichi roommate drawing up an appropriate routine for them to follow, the blond was able to take their plan of action and follow it through from there.

Thanks to his _Shadow Clone Technique_ enabling him to cover more of the village than he previously could on his own, he was able to contact all of the gangs and individuals that'd volunteered to join their crew, and assembled them all to a single location- one of the abandoned storehouses in the village's industrial sector.

This was where Naruto had previously held their group's first meeting- and it was where all their subsequent meetings were going to take place from then on out. During the first week after his team's return from their extended mission to Isahaya, as part of one of his free periods, Naruto arranged a big meet up between the delinquent gangs of Konoha, where he then walked them through Tayuya's training scheme.

First he broke down all the mobs into a single cohesive, yet cooperative group. He did this by having all of the teens and kids dress in the same clothing, which consisted of white gi pants, obi, sandals, and black long-sleeved shirts. This look altered slightly between the boys and girls. Once everyone was dressed the same to establish them as a single unit, Naruto then began training them.

Instead of completely dismantling the leadership that they initially had, which would've caused a lot of power problems among the delinquents, Naruto kept the four main ringleaders in the positions of sergeants- the first being the leader of the biggest group of hoodlums, Sato, the leader of the girl street gang, Kyoko, the head of the Uchiha mob, Ryu, and the leader of the formerly second most powerful group in the village, Suga. The teens were then divided up equally amongst the four.

From there, with Naruto's guidance, the groups began undergoing rigorous training regiments in their respective groups- all of which were purely physical and relied on full use of their hands and feet, in order to strengthen their bodies and their mentality. This wasn't just a way for the blond to establish a sense of discipline amongst them and a sense of working towards a certain goal, but it also gave the would-be "jinchuriki" an idea of where all of them stood as individuals.

Naruto would continue to follow this formula of repetition for the first couple of months, while also delegating power and responsibilities to each of the four street gang leaders. With the hundred plus kids and teenagers arranged into their classes and assigned tasks to complete, the whiskered youngster didn't have to micromanage every little detail that was going on. Though having his shadow clones wandering about and keeping an eye on things did help put his mind at ease.

It also made making time training himself a lot more manageable.

In the many years he'd spent training and remaking himself, Naruto had crafted a handful of useful and personal mottos to live by.

" _Never give up"_ was his first one.

" _Nothing is impossible"_ was his second.

" _The only way you can make things happen is by doing it yourself… so do it yourself"_ was his third.

He also gave a special honorable mention to his often quoted nonsensical catchphrase _"Dattebayo",_ as well as the timeless classic _"Live long and die happy."_

But his personal favorite quote- and possibly the one that he loved and cherished the most- was, _**"If you're gonna hit it, hit it till it breaks."**_

This was a value he lived every day by. He hit hard. He kicked hard. He played hard. And every time there was an obstacle or a challenge involved, he attacked it with maximum effort. He equated this same motto to every training session and exercise he undertook, and it was also the same one he used to push Sakura Haruno on her private training days with him.

OOO

(Sunday)

Speaking of which, towards the end of the week their team had been put on standby while their teacher was going through recovery, Naruto once again found himself outside his personal bamboo grove on an early morning session.

While a shadow clone was off dealing with his delinquent entourage over in the industrial sector, the original blond was currently going through his own personal training. Standing out in the heavy forest beside the towering stalks of strong green shafts- clad in only a pair of black pants and a white obi- the spiky haired, slightly battered Naruto had his eyes closed and was assumed in a very _Juken_ -esque fighting stance.

His limbs being weighed down by sets of ridiculously heavy training bands, which resembled iron gauntlets that covered his entire forearms and calves, the boy steadied his breathing while concentrating his chakra into his forward right arm. It wasn't the regular chakra he was focusing either.

After a full five minutes of maintaining his position and isolating his energy to a single limb, he then opened his eyes to watch as the skin of his right arm lit up blue and started to glow. Its brightness increasing as the seconds passed, Naruto continued pumping more energy into his arm, to the point that his entire right arm from the elbow to the end of his fingertips was sheathed in an ethereal light.

The blue chakra glowing with the radiance of a hot iron indicated that he'd reached a full charge. Upon clenching his hand into a fist and hearing his limb hum like an energy blade when he swung it back, Naruto then snapped his gaze towards the bamboo in front of him before speaking the name of his technique.

" _ **Tenjin,"**_ (Celestial Blade) Naruto recited, before sprinting forward and taking off in a blur. His form transforming into a blur, the kid shot across the grass before sprinting up a bamboo stalk, running up it before reaching the top and springing into the air.

Performing an impressive aerial flip despite the weights on his limbs, the kid then positioned himself at the highest point of his jump, before plummeting straight down towards the same bamboo shoot he'd sprinted up. Drawing his glowing hand back, Naruto then punched down at the tree, his barely visible form cutting into the tip and rushing right down the side of the tree in the form of a blue bolt of energy. In a split second, his form reached the base of the ten meter trunk, before promptly separating from it and skidding to a stylish stop several feet away from it- his arm extended in front of him and his legs stretched in a post-running stance.

Glaring ahead of him for several seconds and allowing the chakra in his arm to fade, he then heard the satisfying creak of the bamboo tree behind him sway. A moment later, the entire shaft then split right down the center and collapsed, showing the blond had cut the bamboo perfectly in two.

After hearing the edifice crash down into the grove, Naruto then exhaled before rising out of his runner's pose. Looking down at his hand, he then flexed his fingers to test them, upon which he then smiled and looked away.

"My control over my chakra is getting better. _Much_ better," Naruto said, his gaze cutting across the grove to another clearing several yards away. There, his eyes and ears were drawn to the sound of grunting and yelling, all of which were taking place in the empty space not too far from where he was. His blue eyes twinkled with enthusiasm as he clear saw what was going on and placed his hands on his hips. "And it looks like my teammate is getting a lot better too."

As it turns out, the sounds of battle were coming from a hardworking Sakura and a shadow clone he'd assigned to spar with her. The two members of team seven- one of them wearing only his signature orange pants and the other sporting a pair of black spandex pants and a black singlet top- were duking it out with their respective styles.

Just like the shirtless doppelganger she was fighting, Sakura was also clad in a pair of iron arm and leg weights, which were weighing her down and making her efforts of catching and hitting her opponent ten times harder than they should be. However, despite the fact that they'd already been at this for well over half an hour and had just entered their tenth round, the kunoichi was far from the point of giving up, as evident by the fierce look on her sweaty, bruised face.

Striking out at the Naruto shadow clone with a series of swift punches, the kunoichi attempted to catch him in the head and body. Each attack she threw though was effectively dodged and parried by the boy, who caught her right fist and then jabbed her in the cheek with a light punch, before then hitting her a little harder in her exposed body. Feeling the wind get knocked out of her, Sakura swiftly lifted her arm and leg to parry a swift roundhouse kick the blond then drove into her body.

His blow impacting with a solid thud that sent her skidding a few feet across the clearing, Sakura took a couple of quick breaths, pumping herself up. Feeling her adrenaline push her through the pain, the kunoichi then let loose a gutsy yell and rushed back at him, leaping through the air with a spinning kick for his head. Naruto understandably evaded it, before once again blocking her punches. This time when he caught her arm, he had to let go and duck swiftly to avoid the elbow she followed up with, before then blocking the knee she threw up at him and the palm strike she thrust forward.

Her hand slamming into his guard, the Naruto clone felt himself get knocked back. When his feet slid across the grass, the mildly surprised blond then gave Sakura a grin- showing that he was still going easy on her.

"Alright. Nice combo," the jinchuriki copy chirped, seeing Sakura spring on the spot with her hands raised, before then darting towards him.

Her bare feet thumping along the grass due to the extra weight she was carrying, the pinkette jabbed out at the blond a couple of times. When he head slipped her blows and dodged her spinning elbow, Naruto retaliated with a swift punch-and-kick assault of his own, his fists cutting through the air in a blur. Sakura parried his blows with a bit of difficulty, but was able to respond with several attacks of her own. During their brisk exchange, in which the pair continued to circle and dance around one another in a superb display of skill and finesse, the pinkette then caught one of the boy's kicks and attempted to trip him.

The Naruto clone responded by performing a cartwheel in her grip, leaping into the air and driving his other foot into her stomach to get her to release him. His blow landed with a loud thump, burying into her ribs and knocking Sakura off her feet. Spit flying from the surprised girl, the kunoichi was knocked several yards through the air to then slam into the trunk of a nearby oak. Dropping to the floor a split second later, the pink-haired youngster landed on shaky legs, her posture hunching forward as she gripped her stomach and gasped for air.

Hearing the girl cough and splutter a couple of times, the Naruto clone smiled and placed his hands on his hips proudly. "That's awesome, Sakura-chan. Even though you're wearing heavier weights than the ones you were using a few days ago, you're still able to keep up with me," the blond informed. When the girl looked up at him and wiped her chin on the back of her hand, the delinquent then tilted his head. "Want to call it a day?"

Sakura, taking a few raspy breaths, then shook her head and gritted her teeth. "No. Not yet. Let's keep going," she breathed, at the same time raising her hands as she stood off of the tree she'd crashed into.

Blinking in momentary surprise, Naruto then cracked a big smile, before then promptly setting himself into another stance. "If that's what you wish, then come at me," the kid exclaimed, making a seal with one hand and increasing the weight on his and his teammate's weight bands.

Feeling the increased mass pull down on her, causing the girl to lose her balance briefly, Sakura took a deep breath before, with another yell, charged right at Naruto. Her form clumsily zigzagging across the clearing, she then bolted right at him with a punch, which the shadow clone caught and responded with a barrage of straight punches and hooks that the boy rammed into her guard without mercy.

As the pair proceeded to duke it out in yet another impressive round across the clearing beside the bamboo forest, the original Naruto, who'd come over to stand and watch from the sidelines, couldn't help but grin broadly at the effort his friend was putting behind her training.

Nearby, the sparring pair were also being watched by Tama, who was currently perched up in a tree and swishing her long, fluffy white tail behind her back and forth. When she saw Sakura take another heavy punch across the face from the Naruto clone, and then retaliate with a swift kick into his side, the fox was unable to stop the small yet satisfied smile from tugging at her lips.

There was no question that Sakura was determined to prove to her teammates and the rest of her peers that she was able to compete with the best of them- and not just mentally. Even though she'd come out of the academy with the highest written grades out of their entire graduating group, the pinkette knew that she still fell short in the physical department- where her strength, speed, and taijutsu skills were just barely scoring above average. When compared to people like Kiba, Hinata, Sasuke and even Ino, Sakura was able to determine that she had so much in her arsenal to improve, and so many areas in which she needed to get stronger.

However, while she lacked in physical dexterity and advanced combat skill, the girl more than made up for her limitations in persistence and determination. Wanting to make up for lost time- and inspired by her blond teammate's own confidence and resolve- the kunoichi was now using almost every training session she had to improve her fitness, increase her strength, and build up her stamina. That meant that in every session where she was on her feet and moving, she was putting herself through a lot of sprints, a lot of heavy weight lifting, and _a lot_ of muscle tearing exercises.

With Naruto's help- as well as the support from the other members of her team- Sakura knew she would be able to reach her goal in no time. She just had to keep at it.

OOO

That session in the bamboo grove was just one of the many training sessions that Naruto and Sakura had with one another, which not only showed how hard and how well they worked together, but also showcased the progress that they were making as a unit. With the new techniques the blond was mastering under his spirit friend Tama and his pink-haired teammate adapting well to her new fighting style and system under the guidance of the spiky haired delinquent, overall the pair were really coming along well in their tenure as Genin.

Thanks to the tree walking exercises they also did back in Isahaya, their chakra and control was stronger than ever before, allowing them to start mastering a whole set of new moves.

Outside of training however, not much had really changed in either Naruto's or the rest of his teammates' lives. Most of the other teams were busy out on D-Rank missions on most days, giving the Genin very few moments to catch up with their former classmates to see how they were doing. Though Naruto and Sasuke, after meeting up with each other to hang out at the supermarket one day, did run into Yakumo and Kurumi who were out at the time, which was a bonus.

As Naruto found out by the turns of his second week, teaching Aya the ways of the human world wasn't a completely difficult task. In fact the eight-legged spirit was a really quick study, able to pick up languages and learn their kanji very easily. Aside from that, she demonstrated the ability to adapt many of her roommate's habits and routines after only observing them for a short period. This didn't just show that the Jorogumo had the capacity for accelerated growth, but also a great memory and a keen eye for details. Naruto and Tayuya figured that this must've had something to do with her heritage, since she was a spirit similar to Tama and Suiro.

Eventually Kakashi Hatake returned to active duty, which meant that Team 7's slump of inactivity was finally able to come to an end. Soon Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were once again partaking in their village's share of D-Rank missions- helping the elderly with their gardening, painting fences, fixing houses, moving supplies back and forth between storage sheds and businesses, assisting merchants, and chasing cats. Hilariously enough, in Konohagakure, there appeared to be no shortage of low level jobs to go around, which meant that outside of training, the Genin teams were kept fairly occupied.

Team 7 was just happy to have their instructor back, as well as a steady stream of work to partake in. However, by the turn of third week and after fixing the shoji doors of their tenth house, the novelty of being able to complete D-Rank assignments quickly wore out.

Soon the bug for a C and B-Rank mission or higher started gnawing at the backs of their heads again- the need for something more challenging becoming too much to resist. Kakashi apparently sensed this and, after seeing how well his youngsters were faring so far in their careers, began making plans to request for a higher level mission from the Fifth Hokage, who he knew would be more than happy to accommodate the silver haired elite…

Of course, Team 7 heading out on a higher ranked mission was going to have to be put on hold for a brief period, as a very important event was about to take place in _Konohagakure_. Due to the significance of this event, whispers and rumors had started spreading about the entire village, causing many people to start clamoring with anticipation.

XXX

(At the end of the three weeks)

(Midday)

Tired. That's the only real sensation that Mikoto could process at that very moment.

It was probably the only thing she felt anymore.

The reason being was that, despite holding the highest seat in the entire village- the office of the Hokage- the woman had so many reports and documents to sort through that it made her wonder how she was able to make any leadership decisions at all without it being stuck in bureaucratic transit.

Because she was in charge of overseeing an entire village consisting of more than three hundred thousand people, almost every request, report and document that was passed on to the administration area, had to go through her office for approval before anything official could be confirmed. And it wasn't limited to shinobi work either. Engineering, trade, taxes, funding, population reports, marketing, training schedules, mission planning, festivals, charities… just about every single form of job and occupation associated with the hidden leaf ended up being passed over her desk for inspection.

Sighting and signing off on many of these documents was an easy enough job in theory. But the fact that she had to read through every single paper and scroll was so mind-numbing that even the hardest, most grueling physical workout she could imagine seemed more pleasant than this.

And for the longest time Mikoto believed that when she accepted the title of Fifth Hokage, the only things she really had to do was protect the village and fall asleep at her desk while admiring the view.

She could certainly do both of those things. For sure. The only problem though was that the view she often fell asleep to was the seemingly never-ending pile of scrolls and papers stacked up on the right hand side of her table. Just staring at one of the towers seemingly caused Mikoto's brain to take on over a thousand pounds, which in turn made her wonder how Hiruzen or any of the other Hokage managed to handle all of this.

" _I should really get a few Chunin to do this,"_ Mikoto thought, thinking that she should probably delegate some of these responsibilities to the other shinobi. However, figuring that some of these things shouldn't be left up to the heads of a few mid-level ninja who were more focused on advancing their own careers than anything else, the Uchiha then started thinking of a better way to lighten her load. _"Hmm… maybe I should set up a couple new offices. Delegate some of these responsibilities to them."_

Surely she didn't need to look at every minor thing. Even the Jonin could handle signing off on the less important stuff- like small festivals, charities and other events. All she had to do was take care of the funding and the military.

Before she could really start brainstorming all of the details, there was a knock at her door. The brisk rap had the woman sit up straight from her desk, as well as clean off the drool she'd built up from lying on top of one of the scrolls she'd been perusing over.

"Enter," Mikoto called out.

When the Uchiha saw the door open, she saw the familiar, bandana wearing form of Genma Shiranui step through. As soon as she saw the former member of the Fourth Hokage's Elite Guard walk into view, the raven haired leader of the village allowed a warm smile to spread across her lips, before placing her fingers together and resting them on the desk in front of her.

"Ah. Genma-san. Good morning," the Fifth Hokage asked with a pleasant and energetic tone- a stark contrast to the incredibly sedated and sour mood she had just minutes before.

"Pardon my intrusion, Hokage-sama," Genma greeted with a bow. "How are you holding up over here? Paperwork still driving you nuts… or have you given up on it completely?" He asked this in an amused tone while taking note of the copious stacks of sheets and scrolls that were currently forming an impressive wall on the far side of her old desk.

"Ugh. Honestly, I'd rather be fighting one of Fuma Kotaro's lackeys right now," Mikoto grumbled while waving her hand at the offending pile of documents. "This entire thing feels like an exercise in futility. I just want to forget all about this nonsense and go do something else for the next few hours. Maybe check in on the academy and see how Iruka's latest batch of students are coming along."

The Tokubetsu Jonin with the toothpick in his lips chuckled. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to receive a visit from their village's Fifth Hokage. I can tell you right now that the little runts will be begging you to tell them a story of one of your famous exploits."

"Well, to be fair, it's a pretty big list. I think even I'll be hard pressed trying to pick the best one out of all of them… especially one that is age appropriate," Mikoto said while resting forward on her desk while continuing to trade pleasantries with her best friend's former colleague. "You know how it is. Wouldn't want to give those little ones any nightmares." Seeing as how she knew Genma from the days Minato had been Hokage, it made sense why she was going out of her way to have this little chat with him. She honestly missed those times.

The man with the toothpick chuckled, "Too true."

"Anyway, what can I do for you today?" Mikoto asked, in a way that felt like she was still shooting the breeze. "Are you here to deliver a message for me from one of the other departments downstairs? Or did you receive another report from one of our outposts?"

"Actually… I came up here to inform you that the ambassador from _Kumogakure_ and his entourage has just arrived through the North Gate, and are on their way right now," Genma informed, whose smile only widened when she saw the look of surprise come over the Hokage. "Oh yes. And the representatives from _Iwagakure_ and _Kirigakure_ have also arrived. They will be expecting to meet with you in the next couple of hours."

Quickly realizing the significance behind this news, Mikoto felt a wide grin reemerge on her face. "Ah. So they're finally here." Quickly rising up from her seat to stand before her Jonin visitor, revealing herself to be dressed in her trademark ANBU uniform, the head of the Uchiha clan then spoke in a firm voice. "Have all available Jonin captains assemble in my office as soon as possible. We've got some important business to discuss."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Deep in the western suburbs of _Konohagakure_ , just outside a local coffee and tea shop that sat a few blocks away from the old Uchiha Clan District, the infamous Naruto Uzumaki was currently enjoying some time off from his normally busy schedule with a hot drink and some charming company. Wearing his usual white and blue hooded winter jacket, black shirt, orange pants and blue scarf, the youngster allowed his body to rest back against the wall behind him, and breathed a sigh of relief- at the same time his fingers unconsciously tapped at the glass of jasmine tea simmering on the tray beside him.

"This is nice," the blond whispered. "After that long slog of a mission Kakashi-sensei had us doing this morning, this break is really hitting the spot."

"You said it."

Also enjoying this sunny day with him was Sakura Haruno, who was sitting on the bench alongside the blond delinquent in her two-piece red and white qi pao top and skirt that showed off her midriff. She had her legs crossed in front of her and was also lounging back against the café wall behind them, just listening to the birds sing around her.

On the other side of the table, on a separate bench that was also propped up against the wall, Sasuke Uchiha was also present. Dressed in his usual white shorts, high-collar blue top and white arm warmers, the boy was also basking in the peace and tranquility of the moment, while simultaneously watching the locals living in the area go about their business.

"I can finally rest my arms after cleaning all of those windows on that three story apartment building," Sakura groaned, giving a pick stretch of all four of her limbs.

While Naruto brought his hand up to pet his friend Tama on the back, who was lying on the table beside their tray of tea, nibbling on a couple of cream biscuits he'd bought for her, the blond then posed a question towards his squad's resident brooder. "What do you think Kakashi-sensei is doing at the moment?"

"Probably some admin work," the boy replied, eyes closed and a smile on his face. "Or off reading that silly little book of his again. I don't know. It's really hard to tell with that guy."

"Mm… well… it doesn't matter, as long as we're able to take the rest of lunch time off, then I'm not complaining," Naruto grunted, before then glancing across at Sakura. "How many missions do you think we've done so far? You know, as a group?"

Pausing for a moment to think about it, the pink-haired Genin then answered, "I think our team has officially completed forty-six D-Rank missions, one C-Rank mission… and one S-Rank mission. That makes forty-eight missions in total." She then looked back at the whiskered boy and smiled. "All things considered, I think we're doing pretty well so far as a squad."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and looked across at the girl. "Wait. We did a C-Rank mission? When?"

"You don't remember?" the kunoichi asked, at the same time leaning forward to stare across at the raven haired genius. "A week ago the four of us did a job chasing down a pet Ostrich that ran away from its owner, which we then had to return to that small village to the south. We got involved in that situation involving those two swordsmen and the _Kanabun Gang_ who were exploiting them. Kakashi-sensei said he would upgrade the job's status when we returned to the village."

"Oh yeah. I remember that one," Sasuke replied, at the same time looking away with a frown. "That little misunderstanding between Tsukado-san and Katazu-san."

"Heh. Yeah. And that dumb ostrich wouldn't stop pecking me in the back of my head while we were walking down the main highway," Naruto added, at the same time exhaling deeply. "As annoying as that bird was, it was still a pretty interesting job." Probably the most interesting one they'd had since the one back in Isahaya. Thanks to him, Sasuke, and Sakura, they were able to resolve the little dispute between the swordsmen and prevented the two of them from killing one another in a senseless duel.

It was a small matter, but it was one that the team were able to walk away from feeling pretty damn good.

"Still though, I bet the next mission we're going to end up with isn't going to be as fun as the last one we had," Naruto grumbled, at the same time taking a sip from his tea and setting it down. "We're definitely going to wind up chasing a lost cat again."

"Nah. If anything, it's going to be another tatami mat cleaning job," Sasuke said while picking up his tea cup. "Probably at some elderly couple's house."

In response, the would-be jinchuriki laughed, "Ha. Yeah right. Cat hunting, all the way."

"Mat cleaning. A hundred percent," the genius replied sternly.

"You want to fight me on this? Cat hunting," Naruto insisted, at the same time glaring across at the Uchiha heatedly.

When Sasuke looked back at the blond, locking them both in an angry stalemate for several tense seconds, smirks then came across both their faces as the Uchiha put his glass down. "I wager two slaps."

"Three," Naruto countered. "There's no way I'm going to lose."

"Deal," the Uchiha replied, at the same time reaching over and shaking hands with the blond firmly. "You got that, commissioner?"

"Oh yeah. The bet's on," the grinning kunoichi listening from nearby replied, having obviously sensed another 'Slap Bet' building up between the two of them. "A gentlemen's agreement; may the best man receive the hardest slap."

" _ **Hoozah,"**_ Naruto and Sasuke both said at the same time, releasing their hands from one another and returning to their drinks.

For the next several minutes after that the squad continued to sit where they were- enjoying their tea and chatting over the missions that they had done so far. During which time they also had the opportunity to observe a Chunin from the Inuzuka Clan walking a handful of their family's ninken partners through the park on the other side of the road. When one of the dogs spotted a squirrel scampering across the reserve, all of them ended up bolting after the little mammal, dragging their poor, hapless shinobi guard assigned to look after them. It'd been a pretty entertaining sight for the members of Team 7 to watch, which in the end added another memorable moment to their break time together.

Once they were done there, the trio and their fox mascot decided to head off in search of a place to eat. With their stomachs growling and appetites running high, they decided to go off to find something to sink their teeth into. This led to the team walking side-by-side down the road for a restaurant that didn't require a reservation.

"I could really go for some barbeque right now. Something with wagyu beef and pork on the side," Naruto said as he and his two friends strolled down the road at a leisurely pace. "What do you guys think?"

"Yeah. I can go for some meat," Sasuke replied, trying not to make it too obvious that he was actually starving.

"Same here," Sakura chirped happily as she ambled alongside Naruto, which in turn also earned a happy 'yip' from Tama. "Is there a _Southern Farm BBQ_ somewhere in this district? Or maybe even a roving stall?" Since the _Yakiniku Q_ restaurant was on the main strip of Konohagakure, which was quite far from where they were, they needed to find a closer and more suitable alternative.

Just as Naruto and Sasuke were in the midst of brainstorming, with the latter trying to remember of any places close to his old suburb, the group was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a row from nearby.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you three in," the voice of a man said loudly.

"Huh? Why the hell not?" the agitated voice of a girl suddenly echoed out, which was what quickly drew Team 7's attention across the road.

There, standing in front of what looked like a restaurant specializing in the service of multiple oriental style cuisines, the trio saw three kids their age dressed in foreign uniforms facing a middle-aged man with a goatee and wearing a chef's apron. Stopping in their tracks to get a better read of the situation that was unfolding, Naruto and his friends were able to see that the man blocking the doorway to the establishment had a very cross look on his face.

The reason as to why was revealed shortly afterwards.

"We're closed for the day," the tall man stated with a gruff voice.

"Bullcrap! I see a whole bunch of people sitting at the tables behind you!" the same girl- the one standing in the middle- said loudly while pointing past the restaurant owner. "This place doesn't look flippin' closed to me!"

The man with the apron grunted and crossed his arms sternly. "Well, it is… to _you_ three. Now, as much as it disappoints me, I'm afraid you guys are going to have to go find someplace else to eat."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere else!" the girl said loudly while stomping forward.

"K-Kurotsuchi," the large, beefy boy standing to the girl's right said while reaching forward and placing a hand on her shoulder- clearly in an effort to calm her down, "Please. There's no need to-" He was promptly stopped when the girl shoved her limb out of his grasp.

"No! We traveled for four damn days to get here and this prick isn't letting us in!" the girl shouted, at the same time jabbing a finger towards the chef, who leaned back with a more ticked off expression coming over his face. "We're bloody guests in this village, invited by their Hokage! And he has the nerve to stop us from coming into his restaurant?!"

At this point, the other boy with brown, spiky hair standing next to her and green eyeliner around his eyes grunted and crossed his arms. "Maybe we should go find someplace else to get lunch, Kuro-chan. The man clearly doesn't want us coming in… and we don't really want to start any trouble. Not while we're here."

"Well, I don't care," Kurotsuchi growled, at the same time leaning further forward. "We didn't do a damn thing to make this guy hate us… so why should we have to go somewhere else?"

Before the owner of the store could open his mouth to say something else, Naruto quickly came over to intervene.

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on," the blond spoke up, causing the three foreigners and the chef to turn, where they then saw the three members of Team 7 approach them from the other side of the street. "Is there some kind of problem going on over here? What gives?" He directed this question towards the manager of the establishment.

While Sasuke and Sakura stood back and observed, the manager, who looked the blond over and quickly recognized him from the whiskers on his cheeks, then felt his frown return with a little more potency and crossed his arms. "That's none of your damn business, brat. Buzz off."

Naruto, feeling a ping of annoyance hit him- with Tama also picking up on his disapproval- then took a look at the three kids the man was stopping from entering his store. The tallest and largest of the group was the portly boy wearing a red bandana with his Iwa forehead protector sewn into its front, as well as a brown vest, brown sandals, red baggy pants, and a small red cape. Judging from his build, he actually looked a bit like Choji in a way, only that he was taller and had a bulbous nose.

The other boy to Naruto's right was the same height as their female teammate, sporting tanned skin, brown spiky hair that was slightly longer than his own, green eyeliner, and wearing a khaki gi jacket that was held closed by a red obi with his forehead protector sewn into it, brown pants, and brown sandals. He also had bandages covering his arms, legs, and apparently his upper body under his clothes too.

The third and last member of their group that the blond took note of was a girl with fair skin, striking black eyes that ended in sharp eyelashes, and a pretty face framed by short black hair. She was also wearing a red shirt with one long sleeve on the left side that covered her entire arm, red shorts that hugged her legs, fishnet leggings, brown sandals, brown gloves, and a brown vest. Her village's forehead protector was also worn proudly across her brow.

After looking them over and seeing he had their full and undivided attention, the would-be jinchuriki looked back at the man and frowned. "Actually, I think it is my damn business. After all, I'm a shinobi of this village. A member of its vanguard." He said this while reaching up and flicking his forehead protector, which gave off a satisfying 'ping'. "Are you telling me you're not letting these three into your restaurant because they're from _Iwagakure_?" His question was backed up by a bark from Tama.

The chef, starting to get impatient, drummed his finger against his bicep and growled down at the boy. "That's precisely the reason why. Now, I don't care whether they were invited to our village by the Hokage or not. A lot of the people in this district aren't too keen on sharing their lunch alongside people visiting from the Hidden Stone… especially since _their_ ninja killed a lot of our friends and relatives during the war- my brother included." He then unfolded his arms and shot a glare towards the trio in question. "To me… they're nothing but a bunch of dirty, cold-blooded murderers."

Taking offense to this, the raven haired girl- Kurotsuchi- then took a step forward to say something. But when Naruto wordlessly held a hand out to her to stop and shot her a look telling her that he could handle this, she quietly backed up, allowing the blond to continue speaking.

"Just because they come from a village that we once fought, doesn't make everyone in it some kind of killer," Naruto answered, at the same time glaring back at the restaurant owner. "That's just a dumb point of view to have. Not everyone living in a foreign village is the same… and the same goes for everywhere else."

Before Naruto could further express his point, the chef huffed, "And I told you before, I don't give a damn. People from _Iwagakure_ aren't welcome in my shop… and the same goes for you too, you blond haired punk. You're nothing but bad news around here."

Deciding he'd had enough of this, Naruto glanced down at Tama. When he saw the fox look at him, the boy smiled and winked, to which his spirit companion also threw him a grin and discreetly ignited her tail behind the boy's back. While the _Iwagakure_ kids blinked when they saw this, Sasuke and Sakura- who'd been listening to the entire conversation from a few feet away and also appearing quite taken aback by how foul this man was coming across- realized what was going on and smirked.

Naruto then allowed a shit-eating smile form across his lips, which he then directed arrogantly up at the shopkeeper. "Well that's a real shame. Because I was really looking forward to trying out some of the food you had to serve at this place. Though, now that I think about it… I have a feeling that if we ate any of the ratty garbage being made in this place, we'd all end up spewing it right back up onto our plates."

The delinquent's comment had the three Iwagakure Genin balk in surprise, with Kurotsuchi breaking out an amused grin.

Obviously hitting a bit of a nerve, the chef gritted his teeth and stomped towards the smirking child. "What the hell did you say, brat?!"

When it looked like he was about to grab the child by the collar, the sounds of loud popping suddenly echoed from inside the restaurant, followed by a collection of yelps and screams. Everyone standing outside quickly then looked in through the front window, where they saw the food on all the bowls and plates the patrons were currently eating from had started combusting one after the other- sending bits of meat, noodles and rice flying everywhere. A couple more frightening bangs followed a few short seconds later, where the chef and the Genin saw the pots of food in the kitchen suddenly explode and start gushing blue fire.

Another explosion of food in the store's serving area caused the window everyone was looking through to crack. Then when the plumbing started to go wrong and the garbage disposal started spewing food out towards the patrons, the villagers that were inside decided to bail- with everyone sprinting out of the store and past the stunned owner.

"H-Hey! HEY!" the cook shouted, almost getting bowled over by his own employees when they too attempted to escape, along with the dozen other patrons. "What the hell is going on?!"

Naruto, hands in his pockets and a grin on his face, then exhaled and shook his head- clearly feigning surprise. "Damn. I mean… look at that. Who would want to eat at a place where the food starts randomly exploding in everyone's faces? That's gotta be some kind of health and safety violation right there." His question drawing the chef's shocked eyes to him, the blond then backed up to where his team was and, with a quick nod to the Iwagakure Genin, waved sassily back at the cook. "I think it would be best if my team and I went somewhere else for lunch."

While the chef was left standing there and sputtering, along with a dozen terrified patrons and employees, a grinning Naruto, a smiling Sakura and Sasuke, and an inwardly satisfied _Iwagakure_ Genin team, wisely vacated that side of the street. As they did, they were able to hear another window shatter behind them as miniature explosions and combusting pipes continued to plague the store.

Really, the bad luck that was now happening to the guy, it _had_ to be karma. Or… you know… a mischievous fox spirit with magic powers that happened to be attached to an equally mischievous blond Genin delinquent.

OOO

(Sometime later)

For Naruto, that incident that he took part in outside that small restaurant in the western suburbs, left him feeling like he'd won a small little victory. When he walked away to leave the owner to clean up the mess that he and Tama had indirectly ended up causing, he inwardly gave himself a pat on the back and his fox companion a well-earned head scratch. Of course, this still left the group with the problem of finding a restaurant for them to eat at and, since they had the Genin team from _Iwagakure_ tagging along with them, left them with a small logistical issue.

However, with few options available for them and their spirits still running high, Naruto offered his team and their newfound companions a quick and easy compromise. A few short minutes later, both ninja teams found themselves sitting along the spacious serving desk at _Ichiraku's Ramen Noodle Shop_ , where all six of the kids were welcomed with open arms by the ever-polite Teuchi and his lovely daughter Ayame.

Needless to say, after their little run-in with that poor excuse of a restaurant owner, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were in need of a little warm service, and what better place to get that then across the table from the father and daughter iron chef duo. Given how hungry all of them were too, neither one of them voiced a single complaint when they had a hot bowl of miso ramen placed down in front of them. It didn't take long before the satisfied slurps from all six patrons started echoing throughout the bar and- in a sight that was as rare as seeing a genuine blue moon in the sky- a group of Genin from _Konohagakure_ were sharing a pleasant and peaceful meal alongside a squad of Genin from _Iwagakure_.

Truly, this was just shinobi diplomacy at its finest, and neither one of them was more grateful for it than the raven haired leader of the hidden stone team, Kurotsuchi.

While Naruto sat front and center at the serving desk, with Sakura on his left and Sasuke on the far end, to his right the kunoichi of the Iwa team was placed- a warm shade of red in her cheeks as she delighted in the taste of the soup's warm broth. To her right, her two male teammates were also seated, too caught up in their eating to worry about anything else around them. As all of them ate from their servings and shared the tea that'd also been provided to them, Kurotsuchi set her chopsticks down to smile across at the whiskered blond who'd helped her team out of that jam.

"Hey," the tomboyish girl spoke, drawing the delinquent's gaze over to her. "What you did back there on the street… that was really cool. Thanks for that."

Naruto- sitting quietly with his friend Tama lying on the table next to him with a dish of water in front of her- cracked a smile and nodded to the kunoichi. "It was my pleasure. The three of you just had a stroke of bad luck running into that jerk after just wanting to go inside to have a meal."

Kurotsuchi gave the youngster a smile while leaning forward on her elbow. "I only hope you don't end up catching any heat. After that stunt you pulled, I bet that guy's not going to be too happy when he ends up cleaning up that place."

"Ah, I wouldn't be worried about him," Naruto said while waving the girl's grievances aside. "Even if he tries to post a complaint, he wouldn't be able to prove I did a damn thing. As far as anyone at that joint knows, the food started blowing up by itself." Setting his hand back down, the child then had a bit of a sad look come to his eyes. "The only thing I feel bad about is that you guys had to take that kind of crap from him in the first place. Even worse it came from someone living in our village, of all places."

The girl then shrugged and looked back down at her noodles. "Meh. To tell you the truth, we were kind of expecting it. The relationship between this village and ours hasn't been all that great ever since the end of the _Third Great Shinobi War_. In fact, it's been downright horrid." That was putting it mildly. All things considered, they were really lucky to be having this opportunity to sit down and talk with one another, without having to worry about the other group having a blade pointed at them. "Both sides ended up fighting against each other and losing a lot of good people. A gap of about twelve years of peace and quiet isn't going to magically make all of those bad feelings go away. There's bound to be a lot of anger and resentment still hanging in the air."

"Hm… true," Naruto replied, before stirring the contents of his bowl with his chopsticks and plucking some out. "Personally… I don't give a crap about any of that. Life is complicated, shit happens for a bunch of reasons, and most of the time you can't help it. The best thing you can do is try to move on with your life and deal with the problems that come your way. Whether you choose to carry on any negative feelings or let them go is entirely up to you." The blond then chuckled. "War and politics is honestly the last thing on my list to worry about."

Smiling across at the delinquent when she heard him say this, the short-haired girl leaned towards him and extended her hand. "I'm Kurotsuchi, by the way."

Returning her gesture and shaking her hand with his, the 'jinchuriki' answered in kind. "Naruto. Nice to meet you."

"You too," the Genin replied, before then leaning back and pointing across at the two boys sitting alongside her. "The big guy next to me is Akatsuchi. And the one wearing the latest in girl's makeup is Kari."

While the portly Genin waved, the brown haired boy developed an annoyed tick on his face and glared across at his kunoichi teammate. "I keep telling you, Kurotsuchi! It is war paint! For men!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Kurotsuchi replied with a cheeky, dismissive wave back to the boy, who continued to gnash his teeth in her direction.

After nodding to the two other Genin, Naruto then gestured to the ones on his end. "This here is my good friend, Sakura- an awesome kunoichi and a great sparring partner." Sensing the kunoichi give a smile and a wave of her own, the blond then pointed over her. "And the quiet one over there is our resident genius, Sasuke. Or as I like to call him 'The Young Prince'."

Grumbling, the raven haired boy glared back at the blond, "Please, stop calling me that."

Unable to resist the urge to grin, Naruto then shrugged, "The guy's basically royalty. You know, being the son of the Hokage and all that."

"Oh. So then… _that's_ the famous Sasuke Uchiha," Kurotsuchi chirped, looking around the blond to see the raven haired kid nod to her before looking back down at his meal in a sulky manner. "I've heard stories back in Iwa, but I never thought I'd ever get to meet the youngest son of Mikoto Uchiha in person- the woman who helped hunt down and capture 'The Wind Demon' Fuma Kotaro."

"Yep. That's him," Naruto replied proudly, before then gesturing to the white little vixen lying on the table and patting her on the head. "And this adorable one here is Tama- my partner. She's been with me for as long as I can remember and has never left my side. She's practically my guardian spirit." His statement had the little fox 'yip' and wave her tail at the Iwa group.

Kurotsuchi quickly turned her attention away from the one at the end of the counter and focused on the kitsune. "Oh. I don't believe I've had the chance to thank you yet, girl." She then reached forward to pat her on the head, which the white fox gladly accepted and purred into her hand. "Seeing what you did back there at the shop, making all of that food splatter all over the place… you're a bit of special one, aren't you?"

Seeing his friend respond so happily to the raven haired girl's show of gratitude had Naruto chuckle. "She's usually very wary of strangers and doesn't respond to most people very often. But she seems to like _you_ a lot," the blond said, watching the kunoichi remove her hand and return to her side. "That means you must be a really good and kindhearted person."

The raven haired foreigner snickered, "I wouldn't exactly call myself ' _good_.' To be perfectly honest, back in my village, a lot of the people know me to be a hot-blooded fire starter… and a bit of a troublemaker. You could… probably guess that from the way I was yelling at that store owner back there." Based on what everyone had observed, she did at one point come close to wanting to clobber the guy across the face for his comments. Had that encounter turned anymore sour than it did, it probably would've incited some kind of international incident between their two villages.

It was a good thing that Naruto and his group happened to be passing by at the time.

Running a hand through her hair in a clearly embarrassed manner, Kurotsuchi gave a tiny sigh. "Definitely not an attractive trait for a girl to have, huh?"

The blond on the other hand had his own opinion to give. "I wouldn't say that. If you want my opinion, I think you're pretty damn attractive." While Sasuke almost choked on the noodles he was eating and the kunoichi in question turned to gape at him, with Sakura also unable to stop her eyes from widening, Naruto carried on with his assessment heedlessly. "And it's not just the way you look either- even though you are really cute. Strong girls who aren't afraid to stand up for themselves and speak their minds are definitely winners in _my_ book. Any guy who says otherwise just has really poor taste, dattebayo."

At first unable to believe what she'd just heard and seeing the whiskered boy grin at her, Kurotsuchi suddenly felt a wash of heat fill her face and her heart flutter at his smile. Unable to keep looking at the boy due to the overwhelming sensations suddenly gripping her chest, the girl stuttered and turned away, while simultaneously clenching her fists. "Uhh… th-thanks," she whispered.

Feeling refreshed and relieved, Naruto looked back towards his ramen to continue eating- completely unaware of the shocked look he was receiving from Sasuke and the slightly jealous stare from Sakura. Even Akatsuchi and Kari were staring at the boy with wide eyes and noodles hanging from their lips.

After a minute of stunned silence, in which the present Teuchi and Ayame couldn't help but watch the scene with intrigue, Sakura, clearing her throat, looked over at the Iwagakure team and addressed them. "By the way, how come you guys are in _Konohagakure_ at the moment? We heard you mention you got some sort of special invitation?"

Her query helping to snap Kurotsuchi out of her daze, Akatsuchi wiped his mouth on a serviette and gave the pinkette a smile. "Oh yeah. The three of us were specially chosen by Tsuchikage-sama to accompany our village's ambassador to participate in a practice event for the main one that's coming up in a few months."

"Every single village is going to be participating in it, including the big five," Kari also added from the sidelines, causing the three members of Team 7 to look across at them. "Emissaries from the other four have arrived here in Konoha to hash out the details. You guys have probably heard about it, right?"

Immediately having their interests perked, Naruto and his teammates stared at the three Genin from _Iwagakure_ for a few moments. After trying and failing to work out for themselves what was happening, Sasuke decided to voice the question on everyone's minds, "Heard about what?"

Kurotsuchi, looking between the Genin, fixed her gaze on the intently listening Naruto and grinned. "The biggest affair to happen since the last big meetup between the Five Kage… an event set to take place in the neutral nation of the _Crescent Moon Kingdom_ and mark a new turning point in the history of the shinobi world." She then raised a hand and pointed upwards, " _ **The Grand Chunin Exams**_."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	21. Chunin Exam Arc I - Show Your Stuff

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Show Your Stuff_

(Meanwhile)

(Hokage Tower)

"A Grand Chunin Exam, huh?" the voice of Asuma Sarutobi filled the room as he and a dozen other Jonin stood in a single group in front of their village leader's desk, who was currently sitting in it with her fingers laced together and her elbows resting in front of her. After hearing what the woman had to say about the up and coming plans, the man with the bear and goatee couldn't help but chuckle. "I gotta say, that sounds pretty awesome. A prestigious event that will pit- not just our village and allies' young Genin against one another for the titles of Chunin- but the other Five Great Nations as well?"

"Count me in," Kurenai spoke up from beside her fellow instructor, a hand propped on her hip and an excited look in her eyes. "Yeah. I bet my team will be all for it."

"Same here," Izumi Uchiha spoke from the far side of the crowd, arms folded and a grin plastered across her face. "They've been grinding through every single D-Rank mission I've thrown at them over the last couple of months. I bet they would be thrilled to take a break from all of that and have a crack at winning a vest in a massive contest."

Asuma grinned across at the young Uchiha Jonin, "I can definitely agree on that."

As the Jonin started clamoring amongst each other and saying which of their squads would be eager to participate in this event, Kakashi, being the most collected and calm among them, turned to his colleagues and spoke up. "Now hold on a second, you guys. Let's not start jumping the gun just yet. The event is still in the middle of its planning stages, so nothing has been a hundred percent confirmed yet," the silver-haired warrior stated. Seeing the group of adults settle, the shinobi then looked back towards their leader, whom he could see was smiling back at all of them. "Isn't that right, Hokage-sama?"

"That's right, Kakashi-san," Mikoto replied, bringing everyone back around to her as she then placed a hand down on the desk in front of her where several documents were currently lying. "The Third Hokage has been in conference with the other Kage about this for a few months now… and seeing as how I've inherited the task of finalizing this from him, I need to make sure everything is in order before we can proceed." She then eyed every single Jonin present carefully. "This is going to be the biggest Chunin Exams any of the big five have ever held. The reason why it's being conducted is not only for the villages to get an idea on the quality of shinobi they are currently producing, but it also gives us Kage a chance to sit down together and talk politics. Doing so over a ritual commonly shared between them is usually the best time to do that."

"So… it's kind of like meeting over a ball game or a theatre performance, where everyone will be able to have fun and be in a good-enough mood to talk?" one of the other Jonin in the crowd asked.

"Exactly," Mikoto informed, at the same time resting back in her seat. "At least that's how we're hoping it will go. Another plus side to all of this is that every single village across the continent will be receiving a massive boon from all the clients that will be requesting the services of our shinobi. Since this is going to be a highly broadcasted event, set on one of the most popular and tourist rich nations in the world, you can assume that there is a lot riding on the success of this event." The woman then grinned as she tilted her head to the side. "There's also a lot of anticipation over having the big five finally coming together for the first time since the end of the last Shinobi World War."

Asuma chuckled at this. "I'll bet." Those times had been rough on all of them- especially since most of them had been kids during those months of fighting. Though the reasons behind the war had gone over a lot of their heads at the time, now that they were all a lot older and a lot wiser than before, the Jonin had a much deeper appreciation for the peace they'd been able to walk away with.

It was then one of the other Jonin in the group decided to speak up- a woman from the Yamanaka Clan with blond hair and a battle skirt under her Jonin vest. "So is that why the four villages sent their ambassadors here to _Konohagakure_? To talk over the numbers and dates of the upcoming event with you?"

"Yes. As a show of good faith for our handling of the _Kotaro Crisis_ incident, the four Kage sent their delegates to our village to discuss all of the administration material with me. That includes the total number of villages and countries participating, the important guests we're going to be inviting, and the costs of hosting the affair in the _Crescent Moon Kingdom_. Not to mention how much of the profits each party will be receiving," Mikoto informed, before then leaning forward and smiling at the Jonin in front of them. "However, before we get down to all of that business, the other Kage informed me that they would like to have a demonstration first."

Izumi raised an eyebrow. "A demonstration?"

"What kind of demonstration?" Kurenai asked.

"The other leaders would like to pit the best of our newest batch of Genin that will be participating in the exams, in a practice match against teams from each of the five states. Pretty much a five way, free-for-all of our up and coming number one prospects. The ambassadors sent here to observe will be able to make an assessment from the performances put on by the Genin and report the results back to their Kage," Mikoto informed, while simultaneously crossing her arms. "In other words, we're having a pseudo trial run of the exam's main event in our stadium, which we are expected to hold tomorrow to a small audience."

"So the other villages want to see what kind of weapons we're packing, huh?" Asuma asked for extra confirmation, which earned a nod from the Fifth Hokage in return. "Alright. How's this going to go down?"

"Before I go any further, I would just like to confirm from the Jonin Captains present on whose teams are going to be put forth for the upcoming contest," Mikoto continued, raising a hand to stop any sudden calls being made in her office. "Now bear in mind… the tests that are going to be held at this year's assessment are going to be unlike any of the others held in the previous years. Since it's also being held on an island far outside of the influence of the other states, you can forget about having a home field advantage. Not only are the stakes expected to be much higher, but the trials are also going to be tougher and the competition much fiercer. Every village across the continent will be sending the best of their best to this tournament, for whatever reasons they may have. All in all- this will be a test of power, as well as a test of strength and intelligence." She then lowered her hand to her desk and rested it there. "That being said, for all those who haven't volunteered their teams yet and still wish to… please do so now."

After looking around at one another to see who had yet to put forward their teams yet, as well as who would be the first to step up, everyone suddenly saw the tall, imposing form of Asuma Sarutobi step forward and form the _Seal of Confrontation_ \- which also acted as a sign of compliance.

"Jonin Captain of Team 10- Sarutobi Asuma- volunteers his students Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji, to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams," the bearded man stated with a confident smile.

Shortly after he stepped forward, Kurenai joined him and also formed a seal. "Jonin Captain of Team 8- Yuhi Kurenai- volunteers Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino of her team to participate in the tournament," the raven haired, red-eyed kunoichi stated with a firm voice.

"Uchiha Izumi- Jonin Captain of Team 11- volunteers her students Hara Tayuya, Kurama Yakumo, and Uchiha Kurumi, to participate in the upcoming trials," the young Jonin in the black and grey uniform contemporary of her clan's forces spoke up, at the same time joining the other shinobi in front of the Hokage's desk.

The last one to step forward, the masked Kakashi, positioned himself next to the young Uchiha and also formed the _Seal of Confrontation_. "Hatake Kakashi- Jonin Captain of Team 7- volunteers his students Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto, to participate in the Chunin Exams."

Seeing the four newest captains take up position in front of her caused Mikoto to smile broadly, before she then stood up and faced them instructors properly. "Good. Any other captains who have yet to submit their teams for consideration or would like to double-check their squad's paperwork, I will be accepting their submissions over the next couple of weeks. You will have plenty of time until then to decide whether or not you want their names to be registered or removed." She then straightened up and set a hand on her hip, at the same time the four Jonin in front of her lowered their hands and stood at attention. "As for our newest captains, since the visiting ambassadors have each brought with them their highest performing Genin team from their most recent graduating groups, I will determine which out of your squads will be taking part in the demonstration."

OOO

(That evening)

As it turns out, Kakashi didn't end up coming out to meet up with his Genin team for another mission. This meant that Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were given the rest of the day to chill out and hang with their newfound friends from _Iwagakure_. Since they were used to speaking with a lot of the other kids from their graduating group, being able to talk to Kurotsuchi and her squad was a pretty welcome breath of fresh air.

Understandably enough, the news of the upcoming _Grand Chunin Exams_ that was said to be hosted sometime in the next couple of months wound up becoming the main top of their discussions for a good chunk of their daytime spent together. Even after finishing up their lunch at _Ichiraku's Ramen Noodle Shop_ and taking their explorations to the streets, the collection of six kids couldn't help but jabber on about the upcoming festival- with Naruto voicing his opinion about how he wanted to participate in it, and Kurotsuchi bragging incessantly about how she was going to blitz it through to the end and win herself a vest.

"We've been training like crazy for the past few months for this exam. We even managed to overtake some of the older Genin groups in our village with the performance records our team has been setting," the raven haired girl said to Naruto as she walked alongside him down the road that their group was following. Completely ignoring the strange looks they were receiving from some of the adult villagers they passed, the clearly excited girl grinned broadly and raised both her fists in front of her. "There is no way we're going to lose."

The blond youngster couldn't help but spare a grin across at the gutsy girl. "Man. After everything you told us about how hard the Chunin Exams are, you don't seem worried in the slightest."

The regular Chunin Exams, which were normally held once a year in most villages, was- by their understanding- probably one of the most viewed and celebrated events in shinobi culture. It allowed the next generation of up and coming young ninja, who had been honing their craft through countless hours of missions and training, to test their skills against others of the same or older generation, and show off their stuff in front of a live audience. Of course, the trials that took place in them were nothing to gloss over, as they not only tested the intelligence and wisdom of those who were participating, but also their nerve, toughness, and fortitude as shinobi of their respective villages.

In short, the tests exams were of an entirely different level compared to the ones at the academy. They were like a rite of passage that marked their first steps into adulthood.

"Are you kidding? Why would I be?" Kurotsuchi asked the jinchuriki, whom she saw was still looking at her with great intent. Ignoring the flutter in her chest from his gaze, the girl carried on boldly. "Any kind of challenge for us is just another stepping stone towards success. Whether we approach them with a strong spirit or a weak one that crumbles into dust, will determine if we come out the other end a little wiser or a little more foolish. That's what Tsuchikage-jiji told us while we were still at the academy. The strongest stones are those who support and hold every other one up."

Sakura meanwhile, who was listening to the girl from Naruto's other flank, simply smiled across at her. "Those are some pretty cool words your Kage gave to you." Powerful ones too. It kind of reminded the pinkette about their own village leader's lessons and their message about the _Will of Fire_ \- and how it was the key to salvation and peace.

"Our village is built on timeless teachings and traditions that are engraved in the hearts of every one of us," Akatsuchi informed, leaning forward and smiling at the Genin from _Konohagakure_. "They're the same values that our founders first laid down a hundred years ago… and they have since persisted to this day."

"That much is to be expected," Sasuke commented from his end, having also been listening to the conversation with rapt interest.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a small sense of inspiration come over him in response to the group's display of confidence- as well as their strong sense of respect to their village's history. After mulling it over for a moment and giving his own core beliefs a momentary assessment, the blond then leaned over and grinned across at the upbeat Kurotsuchi. "No wonder you guys are considered one of the Five Great Villages. You definitely have no shortage of great shinobi coming out of your academy." He then leaned back and stuck his chest out confidently. "To be honest, all this talk about strength and resilience... really makes me want to have a match against you guys."

Hearing his comment loud and clear had Kurotsuchi shoot a smirk back at the blond. "Oh really? Are you saying you wouldn't mind challenging one of _us_ \- the best Genin from _Iwagakure_ \- to a little bout?" Her query was matched by an intrigued glance from Akatsuchi and Kari, both of whom were now listening to the pair square off.

"Yeah. I think either of you three would make a fantastic opponent," Naruto replied, before then stopping and eyeing the kunoichi beside him. "Especially you, Kurotsuchi-chan. If you and I went head to head on the battlefield, I have a feeling you'd be able to give me a pretty decent run for my money."

Feeling her heart race from excitement, as well as the compliments she was receiving from the dashing young rogue, the girl from Iwa- with a light shade of red glowing in her cheeks- stroked her chin while murmuring to herself, "Hmm… it certainly is a tempting challenge." A mischievous glint then appeared in her eyes a few moments later. "If we're lucky… maybe the two of us will end up having a go at each other sometime in the near future. Maybe even in this coming exam if you guys manage to make it that far."

Her remark had Naruto chuckle, "Fingers crossed."

Over the course of their afternoon together, Kurotsuchi and her teammates wound up talking to the Genin of Team 7 about a couple of the exams from their past years in _Iwagakure_. This included one infamous period where the examiners instructed the squads who past the first trial to race across the Hidden Stone's killer Mountain Ranges to reach their second objective, which ended in a few people plummeting to their deaths amidst the many canyons and sinkholes dotting the region. Then there was another year where the squads of Genin had to fight in a large underground stadium, the surface of which was set to continuously shift and change beneath them, resulting in even more gruesome injuries and ring-outs.

After a little more talking, exploring, and a quick visit to one of the main parks in the central area of _Konohagakure_ , the two teams soon had to go their separate ways. Sasuke ended up excusing himself early so that his trip back home wouldn't take him too long, in which he told his teammates that he will be seeing them tomorrow at their usual spot on the red bridge. Sakura our the other hand wound up sticking with Naruto while he walked the Iwa team back to their village's temporary embassy- a mansion reserved for the leaf's most important visitors. When they wound up stopping at the front gate of the property that stood on the edge of the administration district, both Akatsuchi and Kari bid the two remaining members of Team 7 goodnight.

Kurotsuchi ended up lingering behind for a little bit longer. When she stood in front of Naruto and shared a few warm words with him, she presented herself in a slightly more subdued and timid manner, in which she had her hands behind her back, her foot scraping against her calf nervously, and her body swinging back and forth. The side she showed was a stark contrast to the cocky, brave, and tomboyish persona she had on before, and after a few laughs and a few compliments, the girl awkwardly gave the boy a fist bump to the shoulder and told him she would like to meet up with him again tomorrow- _alone_ \- after her business with their ambassador was concluded.

After saying goodnight to her, both Naruto and Sakura began heading back towards their suburbs. Along the way, as they were cutting through the side streets to avoid the village's busy main highway, the blond delinquent was unable to keep the big smile from stretching across his lips.

"I'd say that was a pretty great day," the jinchuriki said, at the same time throwing his hands behind his head. "Not only did we meet a couple of new faces from another ninja village, but we also got to talk about the next Chunin Exams with them." He then shook his head in amazement. "How come we didn't hear about any of this earlier? Especially since this is going to be the biggest one yet."

"No idea," Sakura remarked, keeping in step with her teammate as they continued to walk along the dirt road past a few quiet houses. "But when news gets out around the village, the hype for it is going to go through the roof."

If there was anything they knew that their people got hyped up about the most, it was big festivals and celebrations. This one was definitely not exception.

"They'll probably have posters and billboards advertising the day set up around every single corner and building across the entire village," Naruto said, drawing his hand across the sky to illustrate his point. After which he then clenched it into a fist. "Damn. Now I definitely know what I'll be focusing on for the next couple of weeks. I'm just so pumped." If there was going to be a massive contest going down in a far off country with chances of him and his friends participating in it, then Naruto wanted to be as ready for it as he possibly could be. That meant a steeper training regiment and a tighter scheduled for him from here on out.

His remark was followed up by a cheerful bark from Tama and a big smile from his kunoichi teammate.

As they strolled along, with Naruto's eyes practically glowing with excitement, the delinquent failed to notice the slightly worried look come over Sakura. Pushing back a few strands of hair, the pinkette then gazed across at her teammate. "N-Naruto-kun… do you, umm… do you like girls who are like Kurotsuchi-san?"

"Huh?"

"I mean… I could tell from the way you two were talking to each other- sharing interests, ideas and plans- that you really enjoyed hanging out with her. Not to mention she was practically hanging off of your every compliment and story," Sakura explained, at the same time playing with her fingers behind her back anxiously. "Are you… into girls like that? Ones with short hair, a pretty face, and a tough attitude?"

Naruto, sensing the girl's curiosity, squinted thoughtfully for a moment before setting his hands on his hips and leaning back. "I wouldn't really say I have any kind of preference. I guess I just find strong girls in general to be attractive… regardless of where they come from or what they look like." A cheeky grin then tugged at his lips. "Though it does help a lot if they're cute too."

"Oh. I see," Sakura murmured, at the same time averting her eyes in a dejected manner. From what she could gauge from the adolescent's words, the kunoichi felt that compared to a lot of the others females that she knew personally, she was clearly losing out.

As much as she admired Naruto and wanted to earn his praise and affections, between Genin like Tayuya, Hinata, and that Kurotsuchi, Sakura knew that she didn't have a hope in hell of even competing with them in strength or character. All of them held a much higher standard to her, which made her feel both inferior and honestly a little bit jealous.

However, before the pinkette could fully descend into her depressed slump, Naruto followed up his statement by stepping towards Sakura and nudging her in the arm. When she looked up at him, the girl almost jumped when she saw the charming smile he gave her. "But if I really had to pick a type… girls who are smart, strong, and have a good heart like you- Sakura-chan- are definitely winners in my book."

The kunoichi swore she felt her heart stop for several moments, as she walked along staring wide-eyed at the boy for several moments. Heck, she almost ended up tripping over her own feet because she was gaping at him. When she righted herself, her face had turned bright red and she was unable to face him. This resulted in the kunoichi making some rather strange noises akin to jumbled replies, before she then stuttered a somewhat more understandable one.

"W-W-What? No, no… I…" Sakura choked out, eyes wide as they darted between him and ahead of her a couple of times. She became so flustered she missed the amused look she received from the blond. "Really? I-I'm not-"

"Not what? Smart? Strong? Kind? Cute? Because from what I can tell, I think you're all four of those things and more, Sakura-chan," Naruto finished, not at all afraid to admit this when the kunoichi looked back at him with a clear sense of astonishment. "I can't lie about something like that. No way. What I'm telling you is what I've seen for myself firsthand… and that's the truth."

Naruto's straight-shooting words left Sakura in a state of bewilderment and awe. For the remainder of their walk together, the blushing pinkette remained quiet, as her brain slowly processed what the boy had said to her. During which time she couldn't help but spare short glances across at the delinquent, catching shots of his profile from the side while being watched by a keenly observing Tama- who was still present on the boy's shoulder.

Eventually the pair arrived at her place and, after stopping outside her front door, Naruto bid his teammate a well-earned good night.

"I'll drop by tomorrow to pick you up for our morning run, okay?" the blond said, at the same time turning to head off. Just before he could step away, the whiskered warrior noticed the kunoichi standing there and staring at him- her fists clenched and a firm expression in play. The look that she also had in her eyes prompted the boy to stop in his tracks. "Hm? What's up, Sakura-chan?"

After staring at him in a rather stiffened state for several awkward seconds, the pink-haired kunoichi took a deep breath, before speaking in a resolute voice. "J-Just so you know… I won't give up." Her statement had Naruto blink in surprise. "And I won't lose either… not to Tayuya-san, Hinata-san, or any of the other girls. Understand?"

At first wondering what she meant by that, after seeing the red in her cheeks and the glistening in her eyes, the boy then realized exactly what she was getting at and smiled. "Yeah. I understand, Sakura-chan."

Smile returning full force to her blushing face after relaying her declaration of confidence, the kunoichi then spun on her heel and sprinted inside- obviously in an attempt to get out of there so that she could freak-out over what she'd just said to the boy she liked.

Seconds upon seeing his teammate disappear, Naruto then heard his animal companion next to him give a sigh, which in turn drew his gaze to her.

" _ **Little deviant,"**_ the fox said in her trademark womanly voice- a teasing glint in her smile and gaze. _ **"Toying with girls' hearts left and right."**_

The blond chuckled as he turned around and continued. "What can I say? I learned from the best," the jinchuriki replied, which earned an affectionate lick on the cheek from his spirit partner.

From there, both the delinquent hero and his animal companion strolled down the side streets of the hidden leaf- enjoying the quiet of the late evening and the company of each other. Having grown up in this area for his entire life, Naruto knew every turn, every road, and every alley there was in suburban _Konohagakure_ like the back of his hand. It's what allowed him to navigate through the streets so comfortably and without fear of getting lost.

On his way back home, wanting to pick up a quick dinner for him, Tayuya and Aya, the whiskered youngster stopped off at a local convenience store and bought a handful of bento that were on special. Upon which he then headed down the road and straight to his apartment block, which he could see peaking over the buildings ahead of him. Though the hour was late and the sun was gone, Naruto was still feeling incredibly restless and excited.

His moon only became even more so when, upon approaching the path that led into his apartment block area, the spiky haired youngster stopped suddenly when he spotted a familiar figure standing at the gates.

Wearing a grey kimono vest and a black skirt, fishnet stockings and shirt underneath, and black sandals with a tantō sitting behind her hip, and her light blonde hair still styled in its signature Bob cut, Samui Shimizu of _Kumogakure_ could be found blocking the entrance to the building. Staring up at it with her usual cool visage, the sound of footsteps scraping against the dirt drew her gaze down the road, where she discovered the person she'd been looking for gaping at her a few feet away.

"S-Samui-chan?" Though it took a few moments for his brain to click back into motion, Naruto eventually put on a big grin and quickly jogged forward. "Hey. Long time no see."

The kunoichi chuckled as she turned to face him. "Yeah. It's been a while, hasn't it, Naruto-kun." When he eventually coasted to a stop in front of her, the Genin from Kumo then directed her gaze towards Tama, whom she saw was wagging her tail happily over the jinchuriki's shoulder. "And you too, Tama-san. Have you been well?" When she heard the fox bark lightly, the kunoichi beamed. "Good." Giving the youngster a quick once over, she then nodded her head in approval. "I see the months since we last saw one another have been very kind on both of you. You're looking a lot fitter and stronger than before."

"Oh, totally. I can say the same thing about you too." Glancing her up and down, the youngster smiled observantly. "Sharper… stronger… but still the cool and radiant girl I met back in that hot spring inn," Naruto remarked, before then pointing at his cheek. "I can see you've got a bit of tan going on as well."

"I do?" the girl asked while tentatively prodding her face with her fingers. "It… doesn't look strange, does it?"

"Nah. It looks great," Naruto quickly replied, putting his pen pal's worries at ease before nodding to her. "I'm guessing you've been training a lot over the last few months outside, huh?"

A soft smile crossed Samui's lips as she rested her arms at her sides, "You guessed it. Ever since he heard about our battle at that lakeside village, Killer Bee-sensei has been putting our team through the wringer of a lifetime. This consisted mostly of strength-based training, spirit-hazing fitness sessions, daily ninjutsu and kenjutsu workouts, and a whole lot of… how should I say it… _spirit cleansing_."

"Spirit cleansing?" Naruto repeated curiously.

Samui shrugged and cocked her head to the side. "Basically sensei's had our team come up with a collection of limericks and songs for an anthology, which he said we could use to recite before the start of a big battle in order to hype us up." The girl chuckled a little in amusement. "Omoi calls it _character building_."

"Sounds fun," Naruto replied, before then glancing off to the side with a frown. "Kakashi-sensei has us run all sorts of drills whenever we're training together- silent codes, offensive and defensive maneuvers, and visual signals. Then he has all of us practice our group formations on _him_ during the same session, but we usually end up being tied to a stump or buried together." The boy frowned when he remembered the last time they tried one of their 'Capture their Jonin Teacher' strategies on the elite shinobi, but had all ended up tied to a tree. "He can be a real dick with his training sometimes."

"I know what you mean," Samui replied with a tired shake of her head.

After allowing their amusement from their respective recaps to run their course, Naruto then propped his hands on his hips and beamed at her. "This really is an interesting day. Not only do we run into a Genin team from _Iwagakure_ , but I end up bumping into you at the end of the day as well. Now I really know something is going down in the village."

Samui cocked her head to the side. "The _Grand Chunin Exams_?"

The delinquent clicked his finger at her, "Bingo. We found out that ambassadors from all over have come here to _Konohagakure_ to meet up with the Hokage to talk about the preparations for the event. From what we could tell, they've also brought along a couple of Genin teams with them to take part in some kind of… practice event?"

"We're unsure of what they want us to do. However, a demonstration was strongly implied by Raikage-sama when he selected us to take part in it," the blonde girl stated with confidence.

Noticing that the street lights were switching on around them, Naruto then gestured towards his building. "Want to come inside? We can talk more about this at greater length."

The offer more or less raised Samui's enthusiasm, who visibly lifted a little on the spot, "I'd like that." With the jinchuriki directing her with a casual wave of his hand, the two then strode side-by-side onto the property.

Hitting the stairs and climbing up to the second floor, the delinquent flipped out his key as he saw the door approaching. "How are Omoi and Karui doing by the way? Are they well?"

"Yes. About as well as you'd expect," Samui replied, adding a little chuckle at the end. "They still constantly bicker with one another every time the former gets flustered and starts having one of his internal struggles- where his optimism and pessimism wind up clashing for dominance."

"Heh. So in other words, they're doing exactly as I was expecting," Naruto laughed a little, at the same time stopping by his door and slipping the key in. "With any luck, I bet Tayuya-chan is home already." Opening the door and allowing the lady through first, Naruto then followed in after her, being the first to kick off his sandals at the entrance. When he slipped through, he found Tayuya sitting at the desk with Aya, both of whom were reading from a couple of books. His smile came in full force the moment he saw the pair look up, at the same time he set the bag of bento boxes he'd bought on the floor. "Ah. Speak of the devil. I can see you guys are hard at work."

"Pft. That's old news, shithead," the flute player replied, looking up from her novel with a smile on her face. "We finished studying over an hour and a half ago. Now we're just chilling out and enjoying some light reading. We're also thinking of maybe heading down to the springs afterwards for a quick soak."

"Sounds fun. Maybe I'll join you," Naruto replied, allowing Tama to hop off of his arm and down to the floor. As she scampered across the room and jumped up onto the cupboard beneath their main window, the boy then began taking off his jacket to hang on the hook on the wall next to him. "Of course, I'm probably going to end up stuck on the other side of the divider with Suiro, so I doubt I'll be able to share any gripping convos with you or Aya-chan."

At this comment, a rather sly smirk crossed Tayuya's lips, "Well, if you're going to be that salty about it, I wouldn't really mind if you snuck over to the girls' side and-" She then stopped abruptly when she noticed the cute blonde girl walk in behind Naruto. Pausing for a moment in surprise when she saw the beguiling and mature kunoichi- who looked to be around their age- the flute player gaped for a moment before shaking her head. "Uh. Shithead? Who's that?"

Naruto grinned and gestured over his shoulder at the girl in question, "A friend of mine from another village decided to stop by our place to say hello to me. So I invited her in."

Looking about, the kunoichi with the Bob-cut nodded and looked back at the spiky haired boy she'd followed in. "Hm… small… cozy… and practical. Exactly what I imagined from a man as pragmatic and forward-thinking as you, Naruto-kun." When the delinquent grinned at her, Samui turned to the girls sitting around the table. Seeming not at all surprised to see either the redhead or the half-spider girl staring at her, the kunoichi bowed to them. "Greetings."

"Umm… g-greetings," Tayuya replied, blushing a little when she felt the blonde girl's cool, blue eyes boring into her. Setting her book down due to the intensity she felt from the seemingly cool and monotone girl, the Genin from Team 11 then blinked when she noticed the forehead protector sewn into her belt. "Huh? She's… from _Kumogakure_?"

"Yep," Naruto nodded, before then making introductions. "This is Samui-chan of Team Bee- kunoichi from the hidden cloud and one of the coolest girls you'll ever meet." His compliment had the girl in question's cheeks turn red with embarrassment, as she then glanced away momentarily to avoid the delinquent's gaze.

Finding the youngster's reaction quite flattering to her complexion, as well as cute, after a few seconds of looking her over, a memory was suddenly triggered in the recesses of Tayuya's mind. "Wait? _Samui_ … isn't she the same girl that fought with you and Tama-chan against-" When she saw Naruto nod, Tayuya then gawked across at the female she'd apparently heard many stories about before grinning. "Heh. Now isn't this a fascinating development?"

Not only was she meeting someone from her crush's not too distant past, but she'd also run into a very dangerous rival… and an incredibly beautiful one at that.

Samui of course blinked as she analyzed the redhead that was checking her out. "Ah. Judging from your fair appearance and striking reddish-pink hair, you must be Tayuya-san- Naruto's close friend and confidant."

The Konohagakure Genin blinked in surprise, "You… know me?"

"Yes. Naruto-kun told me all about you on our first meeting together. During our conversation, he spoke nothing but high praise for your strength, talent, and character. As I understand it, the two of you are incredibly close to one another," Samui informed, at the same time glancing over at the spiky haired hero to see him unwrap his scarf Aijo, which then telepathically snapped towards where his jacket was hanging and draped itself over it- seemingly of its own accord. Seeing Naruto give a stretch with his back turned to them before then wandering over to the window to check on the laundry hanging outside, the blonde kunoichi admired him for a moment before looking back at his roommate. "Though I am touched by the bond you share, it also presents a rather perplexing scenario for the two of us as well. Wouldn't you agree?"

Quickly deciphering the meaning behind the girl's words, Tayuya then smirked, "Indeed. Couldn't have put it better myself." She then stood up off the floor and, propping her hands on her hips while Naruto was busy wandering around the apartment and grabbing stuff, the flute player then eyed Samui intently. "Right now I'm having a rather tough time deciding whether I should welcome you into our home… or snap at you with a jealous outburst. Shit knows I'd prefer the latter over the former."

"Well… this _is_ Naruto-kun we're talking about, so I shouldn't be surprised. His air and charisma are highly intoxicating," Samui said, strolling across the tatami matted floor and coming to stand in front of the girl. Looking directly at her, the two girls found themselves quickly locked in a staring contest- in which brown eyes bore into cold blue ones. "So what do you suggest we do about this?"

"Don't know yet," Tayuya shrugged, but then titled her head. "But we're two smart and reasonable girls. I'm sure that with time, we should be able to come to some kind of an understanding." Deciding to fall back on her intelligent side, considering they were currently inside a very small apartment with a lot of personal possessions and people surrounding them, the redhead figured that now was not the best time to get physical right now. Instead, she focused on the other strength in her arsenal that she could rely on. "For now, we can have a truce. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Samui replied, her stance relaxing slightly, before she then closed her eyes and gave the girl a warm smile. "All the same, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tayuya-san."

"Likewise," the flute player replied, giving the girl a momentary good look over, before then also relaxing her hands. Without even realizing it, Tayuya's fingers had curled into fists.

At this point, the blonde girl then took note of the spider girl sitting by the table and watching them. When her eyes fell on her, Samui saw the young but large Jorogumo balk at being spotted and quickly try to hide behind the book she was reading. The Kumo girl's then immediate action was to tilt her head curiously. "Huh. It seems you've made a couple of new additions to your inner circle since we last met." She then directed her gaze towards Naruto, whom she could see had finished pulling in the few bits of laundry hanging outside and folded them up on top of the window side cupboard. "An enchanted scarf and… judging from her appearance… a spider demon."

Though she would've scared the daylights out of some poor villager or farmer, Samui wasn't at all put-off by her appearance. This was probably because the girl wasn't standing at full height or leering at her with any venomous intent.

"Yeah. A lot of things happened over the past few months," Naruto said, turning around and beaming at his guest. Leaving the washing he'd folded up in the care of Tama, who was now lying across the wooden surface, curled up in a ball, the boy then moved forward. "It'll take some time and a hearty dinner to explain."

A feeling of invigoration coming over her, Samui allowed a small grin to form over her lips, "Well… it's not like I'm going anywhere for a while… and the rest of my team is currently held up at our temporary embassy. Right now I have the entire night to kick back and relax."

Naruto, appeared perked up, then pointed towards the open window beside him. "Alright. But before we make ourselves at home, how about we all go down to the baths and have a dip? I think the three of us can definitely use it."

This was an idea that both Samui and Tayuya could certainly get behind.

XXX

(Next morning)

Naruto's day spent with his team had been both a relaxing and eventful one. The evening to follow was also a surprisingly busy period too- where the delinquent found himself not only in the company of his roommate, but also his friend Samui. After a long dunk in the hot springs on the floor below, in which the three of them were able to ease out some of the wrinkles in their moods, they then retired to the room upstairs where they wound up crashing just shy of an hour later.

What the jinchuriki wound up waking to the next morning was a very asleep Tayuya holding onto his right arm while Samui was tentatively curled up on his left- with the white vixen Tama sleeping peacefully on top of his chest. The sight of the trio using him as their own personal hug pillow made for a very interesting wakeup call for him. Hilariously, despite wanting to get up and start moving, the unconscious girls prevented him from doing so by moving in closer and tightening their holds over his limbs, effectively pinning him to the bed.

Though Naruto was more than capable of removing himself from this situation, he didn't want to due mostly to the fact that he would end up waking the girls. This would also inevitably result in him being scolded by them, which resulted in him resigning himself to his fate.

Eventually the sound of the alarm clock on the nearby table woke all of them from their slumber at the strike of five and- after Naruto managed to shake the feeling back into his limbs from nearly having the blood circulation cut off in them- the trio went about readying themselves to head out to their respective meeting places. Samui had borrowed one of Tayuya's oversized shirts, which had allowed her to air out her regular clothes over the night.

As soon as all of them were back in their regular uniforms- the jinchuriki in his signature white coat and scarf, and his red-haired partner sporting her usual maroon Konoha varsity jacket and earphones- the three Genin then left the apartment in the care of Aya, who made herself some porridge for breakfast from the cabinets.

After grabbing some bread rolls for breakfast down at the local store, Tayuya casually broke off from her roommate about halfway down the main road to meet up with her squad over in the administration district. Naruto meanwhile- with Tama on his shoulder- escorted Samui a little bit further into the village's center, until she eventually took a right turn at a T-junction to rendezvous with her group at their village's embassy.

Before the two of them parted ways, the Kumo Genin gave the blond delinquent a tender peck on the cheek- as both a show of appreciation for letting her stay over at his place and for his selfless display of chivalry. This gesture also helped to dispel any remaining cobwebs of drowsiness lingering inside Naruto's head, who as soon as he was done seeing the blonde off then went straight for Sakura's place to pick her up for their usual string of morning exercises. Along the way, the villagers noticed the delinquent had a bit of an extra skip behind each step and a whopping big smile on his face, which in turn earned a few strange looks from the people who the youngster passed.

When Naruto arrived at the pinkette's place several minutes later, the duo went for a good hard sprint around the hidden leaf.

The blond set the pace for them so that they could make up for lost time and put the weight bands the kunoichi had brought out to good use, taking her round the main road that went toward the far edges of the village close to the perimeter wall. As they ran, they passed by every possible terrain their village had to provide- the rice farms, the forest, around the back of the _Hokage Monument_ , and into the outer districts where shrines and guard posts stood- all the while carrying several hundred kilograms of weight between them.

Naruto's bands of course totaled a whole lot more than what Sakura was hauling, though the girl was admittedly trying her best to match him. This of course wasn't counting the fact that her teammate was setting an average pace of over forty kilometers an hour.

When they arrived at their usual finishing line on a hill overlooking the southern side of Konoha, they capped off their morning run with several strength building exercises and weight work. This took another hour to complete. Afterwards they ventured back into town towards their team's regular meeting spot.

Out on the red wooden bridge arcing over one of _Konohagakure's_ main tributaries, they found Sasuke already standing there and waiting for them. When the Uchiha watched the pair approach him, he immediately noticed the cheerful smile on Naruto's face and the dazed and frazzled look that Sakura was currently sporting. When he also observed how the kunoichi's shoulders were slumped forward and she seemed to wobble after every five paces, the kid in the blue high-collar shirt and white shorts cracked a small smile of amusement.

"Morning workout?" he asked Sakura directly, to which he received a tired groan and a wave from her in response. "Thought so. You look like crap."

"It's not _my_ fault," the pink-haired Genin whined back, before promptly hitting Naruto in the shoulder. However, due to how fatigued her muscles were, all she ended up doing was bouncing her fist off of him uselessly. "This jerk made me do over fifty miles and twenty sets of _everything_. I can barely walk straight now, I'm so tired."

Naruto chuckled, "Trust me. It was totally worth it." His remark was backed up by a 'yip' from Tama.

"Damn… you don't usually push me that hard unless you're in a really, _really_ good mood," Sakura said, while trying to guess as to why her teammate had been so cheeky with her. She then frowned and leaned over to give the boy a dirty glare. "Did Tayuya do something to you last night?"

"Nope," the delinquent replied while strolling over to where Sasuke was standing, "At least not outside of the usual stuff she does."

His answer had Sakura freeze and gape after the child for a moment. "The… the usual s-stuff?" In that instant, the kunoichi felt her face heat up at an alarming rate, as a series of rather lewd images involving the blond and his redheaded roommate engaging in several very censored activities passed through her head.

Though most of it was just kissing, it was all done in various degrees of semi-naked states. Nothing sex-related, but for a growing adolescent like Sakura, the illustrations were still incredibly intense.

"Calm down. I'm sure it's not what you're thinking it is," Sasuke told the girl when he saw the steam starting to rise off of her head, at the same time Naruto went over to the bridge's opposite railing and leant against it with his arms crossed. When the Uchiha took note of the glowing look in his rival's eyes and the rather secretive smile he was wearing, the frown in his gaze deepened. _"At least… I hope not…"_

There was no telling with this kid. Whether it was in the company or on his own, Naruto always managed to get up to something that just went beyond the norm.

Sakura eventually managed to cool off enough to go over to where her blond teammate was standing and leant on the railing next to him. Though still finding it difficult to look him directly in the eye, the pink-haired girl still managed to smile and tentatively nudge his shoulder with hers every once in a while- in a rather passive aggressive way of telling him she was there. Naruto of course didn't mind her presence one bit and- since they had to wait a while for their team leader to show up- engaged her and his teammate in conversation.

As if prophesizing this eventuality, the group was kept waiting on that bridge for close to an hour, in which all of them didn't even bother checking their watches since this was such a regular occurrence for them by this point. Instead they chose to use this time in a semi-productive manner, such as skipping rocks over the bridge, playing a game of twenty questions, and trying to guess what each of them could spot in the distance.

While Sasuke was too busy cheating in their last game, which really irked Naruto and Sakura somewhat since the kid could use his _Sharingan_ to follow their line of sight, the squad was then interrupted by the arrival of their teacher.

Appearing from a shimmer, the man with silver hair and the mask beamed when he saw the three turn to glare at him. "Morning all."

"Late… _again_ …" Naruto mumbled, his foul glare matching those worn by Sasuke and Sakura as well.

"Honestly. Why do you even bother getting up in the morning, sensei?" the pinkette asked tiredly, which of course was followed by a bark from Tama. "Do you even have a reason to go out and about in the world when you show up late to everything?"

The Jonin grinned back at his team coyly. "Well, I do have a life outside of my home. Plus a wonderful squad of young, up-and-coming, talented little shinobi that are in need of guidance. So yes… I believe I have plenty of reasons to get up every day." His comment towards his group did have them lift their heads with momentary pride and helped to quell their frustration- if for but a moment. In short, they simply took his compliments without complaint. Seeing that he was able to dampen the hateful glares on him for the moment, Kakashi then approached his group with his hands comfortably slipped into the pockets of his vest. "Anyway, it's good to see the three of you- oh, sorry- the _four_ of you are all here." His correction was of course in regards to Tama, who gave a happy wag of her tail from where she was currently lying across her partner's shoulders at being addressed as well. "Judging from your expressions, you guys are more than ready to get this day underway."

With the way Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were positioned on the bridge in front of their teacher- the blond with his scarf pulled up high, the kunoichi in the two-piece red and white qi pao uniform standing beside him with her fists clenched at her sides, and the Uchiha with his arms crossed and leaning against the railing behind them- they really looked the part of a pro team ready for some action.

"What job have you got for us this time, sensei?" Naruto asked, his smirk coming on full force as a wind picked up across the bridge to ruffle his scarf and hair. "Is it a missing cat assignment?"

"Or a tatami mat cleaning mission?" Sasuke asked, with a surprisingly more excited lilt in his voice than normal. "Please say it's a mat cleaning mission. I'd really appreciate it." He then saw Naruto turn to glare at him, which the Uchiha returned full force as the pair became locked in a staring contest.

Finding the pair's little questions quite odd- since the three of them would normally be begging him for more challenging assignments that were above D-Rank- Kakashi paused for a moment before clearing his throat. "Uhh. Well… I don't really have any assignments prepared for you guys today," the Jonin said, causing his students to turn and look at him in surprise. "At least… not in an official mission sense."

Sakura blinked, "Huh? What do you mean, sensei?"

Removing one hand from his pocket, the adult shinobi then proceeded to get right down to business. "You probably may not know this already, but there are currently a number of very important, high-profile guests in the village right now- all of whom have come from all four corners of the mainland to discuss a very significant matter with the Fifth Hokage."

Kakashi's words instantly cued the trio into what he was going to say next, which prompted Sasuke to cock an eyebrow, "You're talking about the upcoming Chunin Exams, right?"

"And the ambassadors from the other hidden villages that have arrived in _Konohagakure_?" Naruto followed up, at the same time pointing towards the _Hokage Monument_ in the distance. "The three of us actually ran into one of the Genin teams that came with their delegate. A group from _Iwagakure_." He'd also run into one kunoichi from _Kumogakure_ as well, but the blond wisely decided to omit that detail for the sake of time constraints.

"Oh. So you guys know about that already?" Kakashi asked. When he saw the three kids nod, the man chuckled lightheartedly. "Good. That means I can get right into it. The Hokage is going to be in conference with the representatives from the Five Great Villages regarding the coming tournament. It's expected to be the grandest and most immaculate exam ever hosted by any of the countries, and it's all anticipated to take place in the next couple of months. But before that however, the people charged with overseeing the preparations would like us to run an assessment."

This question quickly peeked Sakura's curiosity, "What kind of assessment?"

"After a brief discussion with each other over dinner, the Hokage and the other village ambassadors have requested that we host a small demonstration for them in the hidden leaf's stadium. They would like for each of the hidden villages' newest and most talented prospects to participate in a small free-for-all combat scenario, in order to gauge the level of the most recent batches of graduates from the five main states," Kakashi informed, at the same time looking between the youngsters gathered in front of him. " _Sunagakure_ , _Kirigakure_ , and _Kumogakure_ have brought along their last semester's graduating teams, whereas _Iwagakure_ and _Konohagakure_ are putting forward their most recent semester's teams. And it seems that our squad made the cut."

"Wait…" Naruto said, at the same time raising his hand in surprise, "Do you mean that-"

"Yep," Kakashi chirped, while giving his team his signature eye-smile. "The Hokage selected Team 7 to take part in the test." When he saw Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke's expressions all brighten up with excitement- completely dispelling all the negativities they were initially radiating- the Jonin then stepped around while giving them a serious stare. "Though I wasn't informed as to exactly what this test would be, we have been instructed to meet outside Konoha's Chunin Exam stadium in the next hour. So I suggest we all get a move on."

Sakura, having been perked up significantly, straightened her posture and raised her fist, "Yes, sir!" Her exclamation was followed by a happy bark from Tama and a grin from Naruto, who reached up and adjusted the scarf around his neck. Even Sasuke couldn't help but snicker a little at their kunoichi teammate's gung-ho shout.

The fact that she was the only one that did so made the moment even more adorable.

The chuckle that came from Kakashi was one of genuine delight, "I'm glad to hear you guys are so pumped for this. Let's go." He then beckoned for his team to follow, while simultaneously pulling out his signature orange book from his pouch.

Immediately falling into step with the man, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura walked with the shinobi off of the bridge and into town. Though they had no idea what exactly they were going to get when they reached the stadium. All they knew was that it was going to be awesome…

OOO

(Sometime later)

"You assholes," Kiba shouted.

Or… you know… at least they were hoping it would be awesome.

The moment Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at the main entrance outside the tunnel leading into the stadium's fighting pit, the youngsters quickly found themselves confronted by a very angry Inuzuka and a rather annoyed looking Tayuya. Though neither of them remembered doing or saying anything to them to earn this kind of reception, the squad could venture a guess as to what the reason actually was.

As it turns out, all of the teams that'd graduated from their year level were currently present in the village, and had assembled outside of the colosseum alongside their respective Jonin instructors. While the members of team seven were happy to see them and were looking forward to a quick catch up, they were instead finding themselves on the receiving end of a rather vicious tongue lashing from two of their closest companions- whom they guessed had wanted to participate in this event in their place.

This much was evident by how Kiba and Tayuya were now standing in the way of the three kids and glaring daggers at them.

"I can't believe the Hokage ended up picking you guys to take part in this demonstration!" the redheaded flute player said loudly, while driving her knuckles into her hips and stepping right up to Sakura's face- leaning towards her for good measure. "You lucky bastards. I'm so jealous right now."

Though Naruto and his partners were used to this kind of reaction- more so the former than the latter- the fact that the teams from _Iwagakure_ and _Sunagakure_ were also standing on the road nearby and watching them, kind of made this scene a little bit awkward.

Out of all of them, Kakashi wasn't affected by the output of attention at all. He was too busy reading from his novel to really care.

"What exactly makes you guys so special, huh?" Kiba asked as well, while directing this question to Sasuke, who was currently looking back at the feral-looking youngster with a surprised look on his face. "Our team has done just as many missions as you and completed just as many contracts. Maybe even more."

"It's because those guys recently scored themselves an S-Rank mission outside of the village," a new voice- Shikamaru's- spoke from the side, drawing the group's attention over to him. When Naruto and the others looked to the right of the road, they saw the rest of the members of Team 8, Team 10, and Team 11 all standing there, with Asuma, Kurenai and Izumi accompanying them. "They also hold a perfect track record for all the jobs they've completed and have three of the highest scoring students from the school making up their squad. It's troublesome, but it's a fact."

While Choji stood there eating from a bag of pretzels, an intently listening Ino smiled and crossed her arms. "I'm not surprised one bit that Team 7 was picked for this. Naruto-kun's group is pretty amazing."

"Hmph," Kiba grunted indignantly, while at the same time giving Sasuke a dirty look. "And here I thought that it was because they had the son of the Fifth Hokage with them that they wound up being selected over us." Though he was sure they were picked because the three of them had built up a big reputation in the office for their efficiency, the boy couldn't help but suspect it was also because of one of their members' connections that scored them this gig. "As great as they may seem on the outside, I still find this whole thing a little bit fishy."

In response, the calm Uchiha youngster smirked back at the Inuzuka cockily. "Why? Are you jealous, Kiba?"

"Pft. As if. It just tells me I have to do a lot better than you when the real exams come around," the boy with brown scraggly hair replied, leaning away when his companion Akamaru barked. "Just make sure you don't make the rest of us look bad out there, okay?"

"We won't forgive you if you end up getting your asses kicked," Tayuya replied, while also stepping away from Sakura. "The pride of the entire village is resting on your tight little shoulders. So whatever you do, don't fuck this up." When her eyes snapped over to Naruto, she saw the blond with the fox on his shoulder grin broadly at her.

"Don't worry. We won't," he replied, which earned him a warm smile from the flute player, before she wandered back over to where her team was.

Naruto and the others watched the two Genin reunite with their squads. After the blond waved to both Kurumi and Ino when they greeted him, the jinchuriki then turned his attention towards the gate in front of them, and the two foreign squads who were currently present.

It didn't come as much as a surprise to him or his teammates that Kurotsuchi's squad was already standing there alongside their Jonin. The three of them had taken notice of team seven's arrival and had observed the entire exchange with their friends from afar. It was clear from the looks on their faces that the little back and forth between them and their frustrated comrades had entertained the Iwa cohort greatly, which prompted Naruto to smirk and nod towards them.

Kurotsuchi returned his grin with a smile of her own, while Kari and Akatsuchi merely grinned.

As for the _Sunagakure_ team, Team 7 couldn't help but notice a slight disparity amongst their numbers. Though there were three of them in total- just like every other squad- one of their members seemed to be a little bit younger than the other two. The first one among them was a boy wearing a black desert gi and turban, as well as purple face paint that gave him a very intimidating look. He was also carrying a large, mysterious bundle wrapped in bandages around his back- and kind of bore the outline of a person. The second was a rather cool-looking girl with sharp eyes and golden blond hair tied into bunches on her head, who was wearing a pink gi, her headband wrapped around her waist, and fishnet armor underneath. There was also what looked to be a large, folded up battle fan hanging from her back, which told Naruto that she probably used wind as her element.

The third and most noticeable of the Suna Team was a boy with reddish-brown hair, carrying a large gourd on his back, and wearing an odd ensemble of dark clothing and a white sash. Though being the shortest of the trio, he was surprisingly the most imposing of them- bearing a stern face with black rings around his eyes, which gave the impression that he didn't get much sleep.

He also had a red painted kanji for love engraved into the side of his forehead. It was something that Naruto took notice of and had him eye the boy rather suspiciously for a moment.

"Huh. Is it just me… or are you guys getting some really weird vibes from that guy?" Naruto asked in a low voice, while directing this question towards his friends.

Glancing across at the Suna Team for herself, Sakura narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Yeah. He seems pretty tense." Maybe it was because of the atmosphere around them. Being handpicked to participate in a quick contest- even a practice one- was a pretty big honor.

"Not really the most _approachable_ looking guy in the world. That's for sure," Sasuke also remarked off-handedly, obviously referring to the boy's rather unpleasant-looking demeanor.

After seeing the group from the Hidden Sand village turn away from them, a rather excited smirk came upon Naruto's face. "Heh. I can tell this is going to be a really interesting day." So many different kids from different villages- all participating in the _same_ competition. The prospect of possibly fighting so many unique individuals with different levels of ability had the blond clench his fists in anticipation for the bouts to come. "I wonder what's going to happen."

When smiles appeared on Sakura and Sasuke's faces, it was clear they were looking forward to this too.

Of course, just before he or his team could begin thinking about who else they would most likely end up facing in this demonstration, as well as the real Chunin Exams later, the group was suddenly interrupted from their meditation by the arrival of yet another team. Though at first none of them obviously noticed them, it was only after one of them spoke up in a chirpy voice that Naruto suddenly felt his body freeze up in alarm.

"Hey there, cuzz."

Eyes widening and energy suddenly coming to a screeching halt, the blond slowly turned his head about in the direction of the voice- an action that was copied by both Sasuke and Sakura. When the delinquent's eyes landed on the path just a few yards away from him and his team, the youngster in the white and blue jacket felt his jaw drop slightly. At the same time Tama couldn't help but blink a little in surprise.

"Whoa. No way," Naruto whispered, clearly unable to believe who he'd now spotted.

Standing in front of her equally cool teammates and teacher, with her two bandaged-up spears affixed to her back, the familiar, raven haired girl in the fishnet armor, black banded top and hot shorts of the _Kirigakure_ Genin team- Mae Uzumaki- was standing there and grinning back at the delinquent in all her glory.

Seeing her shocked relative's eyes land on her, the girl raised her hand and waved, "Yo."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Before anyone else asks, go back a few chapters to when Naruto first encounters the ** _Kirigakure Team_**. If no one else remembers, **Mae** uses the _Henge no Jutsu_ to change her hair from red to black. Happened right in that chapter.


	22. Chunin Exam Arc I - Setting the Bar

**NARUTO**

 ** _Maoyū_**

 _Setting the Bar_

Naruto, feeling as though he was experiencing a "blast from the past" of a lifetime over the span of only two days, couldn't help but find himself gaping at the raven haired spear-girl he remembered encountering in that country town all those months ago. Seeing her standing there in exactly the same skintight, slightly revealing clothes he remembered her wearing, with her weapons propped on her back and hair shining as black as night, the blonde's first and immediate response was to clench his hands defensively- as if anticipating an attack.

However, when none came in the first few seconds after laying eyes on the pleasantly grinning female, the delinquent then allowed a grin of his own to tug back onto his lips as he pivoted about and stood facing the Genin and her team from _Kirigakure_.

With his scarf up, Tama propped on his shoulder, and collapsible staff at his side, the youngster made himself appear as calm and cool as possible. "Well, well. It seems that lady luck is spoiling me quite a bit today," the jinchuriki commented. "That… or she's playing a mean trick that's hiding a really nasty punchline somewhere."

The thinly dressed Mae snickered, at the same time her teammates remained behind her on either side watching the reunion with interest, "You seem surprised to see me."

"Of course. I mean, when you run into someone in some far-off market town going in completely different directions, you kind of get the impression that you're never going to end up seeing that person again," Naruto replied, before then giving a careless shrug as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Small world, I guess."

"But not as small as you may think," Mae answered back with a cheerful glint. "You haven't even visited the best parts of it yet."

Naruto smirked, "Hm. True."

The other two Genin from Mae's team, who were standing a few paces behind their friend and listening to their conversation, shared a glance across at one another. While Utakata- adorned in his usual blue robe with his brown hair combed to one side- cracked a small smile at their teammate, Ryofu- her silver hair tied into their usual two pig tails- sighed pleasantly.

"This is an interesting turn of events," the girl remarked calmly with her arms crossed.

"Indeed," the tall boy replied, with one arm pulled up into the sleeve of his kimono and sitting lazily atop the obi wrapped around his waist. "And not an unwelcome one either it seems."

For the members of Teams 8, 10, 11, as well as the jinchuriki's own squad, it was incredibly hard not to notice the looks of surprise that'd come over the collective groups' faces. Clearly they were rather befuddled by the fact that their resident delinquent and rabble-rouser was speaking with someone he apparently knew from a completely different village. Initially they suspected some kind of gangster or Yakuza connections must be involved in this, especially since the community in question wasn't even joined to the mainland. It made everyone believe that Naruto had developed a secret, overseas alliance.

However, since the blond wasn't one to delve into criminal activities beyond the occasion street scuffle or prank, the sharpest kids among them quickly determined that the reason was probably a whole lot simpler.

The only one who didn't seem surprised by the things that were now transpiring was Tayuya, who after some careful thought and consideration, then allowed her expression to relax somewhat. _"So… she's the girl who gave Naruto-kun that scar over his left eye."_ He'd told her all about that encounter on the night he came back to the village after his little trip. Apparently the kunoichi that cut him across the brow had been an incredibly tough customer- someone who was able to give even the blond fighter a hard time.

That wasn't even counting the fact that she was also a member of his clan.

But while Tayuya was familiar with the situation, the rest of their friends were at a loss.

Kiba blinked as he checked out the scene taking place in front of them, "Who's that chick that Naruto is chatting with?" His question was marked by a whine from Akamaru, which he then followed up with a grin. "She looks kind of cute."

"She pisses me off," the tough, tomboyish Hinata grumbled next to the Inuzuka, at the same time crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the female she immediately assumed was another 'enemy' of hers. Though she could handle Tayuya as a rival- as she was a close friend of hers and Naruto's- the Hyuuga had a limit when it came to other girls entering the blond youngster's life.

"Whoever she is, she and Naruto-kun seem to know each other," the tallest among them, Kurumi Uchiha, chimed in from the side with her hands locked in front of her white gi robes and a curious glint reflected in her eyes. "How intriguing."

"Hmm. Maybe they're related in some way," Choji commented from his group, having stopped eating enough to watch the duo's exchange several yards away. "I mean, does Naruto have any relatives that he writes to or something?"

"Not as far as I know," Shikamaru replied. In the years that the Nara had hung out the energetic blond and spoken with him, the kid had rarely ever mentioned his family or any other relatives in the village. As far as everyone's knowledge stretched and extended, the boy's parents had died sometime after he was born, and for the past twelve years he'd been forced to grow up as an orphan in the care of the village's system.

The only people he had close to him in his life were his dear friend Tayuya- a fellow orphan- and the other kids the blond had come to know and hang out with over the years. He regarded each and every one of them highly and with great reverence, which showed exactly how much he valued their friendship in his life, which could understandably become troublesome at times.

Of course, while Naruto circle of trustees had grown within the village and he had formed dozens of connections, this still didn't explain how the delinquent had come to know someone from a completely different one. The fact that the kids came from a hidden village and country that'd recently been devastated by a civil war made the mystery even more compelling.

What's more, she'd even referred to him as 'cuzz'… which was short for cousin. Now that was even more perplexing.

The rest of the Rookie Twelve figured they would get an answer to this mystery sooner or later. So, after a brief debate with one another, the kids from the hidden leaf's squads decided to listen in and see how this strange meeting unfolded.

Sakura, who was standing just behind Naruto- with Sasuke and Kakashi hanging a little further back- then leaned over and whispered into her crush's ear, "How do you know this girl, Naruto-kun?"

Glancing back at his teammate, the blond smiled, "I ran into her back when I was out on that little excursion with Tama-chan to _Genno Temple_. It was the same trip I fought against that water demon on… and came back to school with this cut over my left eye?" He said this while gesturing to the aforementioned mark across his eyebrow.

This had the kunoichi balk in surprise. "Oh. So… you mean she's-?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto nodded, before looking back at the spear girl and flashing her his signature grin. "She gave me a surprisingly good fight back in that town. We practically ended up decimating the entire crossroad we were both standing in, and scared quite a few of the locals hanging around us as well. She had a pretty damn good swing and a hell of a sharp jab… but even after all of that, I doubt _you_ were going all out against me." His statement was of course directed to the girl in front of them.

Mae smirked at the youngster, "Damn right I wasn't. That little joust in the marketplace was just a warmup… a light sparring session to get my muscles working." After the pair traded competitive glares, the girl then took notice of the pink-haired kunoichi standing beside the blond, as well as the headbands he and the other squads nearby were wearing. "So… you're a Genin from _Konohagakure_? That's neat. And here I thought you were just some lonely vagrant who was randomly passing through that village. Guess I should've known you came from one of the Big Five."

"I wasn't a Genin back then. I was still in the academy during those days and ended up graduating about a month later," Naruto informed while tilting his head at the female. "Disappointed?"

In response, the spear-girl shook her head, "Nope. In fact… I'm actually glad that you're part of one of the five great shinobi villages." Her smile on seemed to widen as she eyed the boy excitedly. "With the Chunin Exams coming up, it means we have a chance to finish off the fight that we started all those months ago. You keen on going for a second round, dattebaka?"

The jinchuriki also leered at the girl when he heard this- an expression that did not go amiss by ether Tama or Sakura. "You bet I am, dattebayo."

The pair's use of similarly sounding nonsensical quotes caused Sakura to look between the two Genin in momentary confusion. Looking from the blonde's excited grin to the black haired girl's own enthusiastic smile, the pinkette quickly listed off the similarities the two shared for several seconds. It was only after a few more furtive glances between them that the kunoichi's eyes suddenly widened, as she then realized why the two of them looked, acted, and sounded so much alike.

"No way…" she whispered, during which time Sasuke walked over to join his teammates- only to stop when he noticed the astonished expression come upon his teammate's face. "A-Are the two of them…?"

Uchiha blinked at the slack-jawed expression on the girl's face, "Are the two of them what?" Obviously he'd walked in at a rather inconvenient time.

At this point, the spear-wielding Mae took notice of the other member of Team 7. The moment her eyes glanced Sasuke's way and she saw the young man look at him, the once serious girl's expression almost instantly became one of surprise. Feeling her heart skip a beat for but a moment, the girl's eyes started to shimmer in awe as a rush of heat filled her chest and face.

From her point of view, an ethereal, sparkly light seemed to fall over Sasuke, which caused Mae to almost buckle as she quickly turned to the boy in a fit of stutters.

She then shakily raised a hand to wave. "Uhh… umm… h-hi?" Mae squeaked, her voice breaking the moment she attempted even a basic greeting.

Sasuke balked at the girl's rather awkward attempt to speak and responded in kind. "Uhh. Hi?"

"W-Wow…" Mae gasped, stepping towards the raven haired boy clumsily while trying to figure out how to position her hands. Figuring their place was at her sides, the Uzumaki female straightened up and grinned rather stupidly. "Y-Y-You're really cool-looking. Uhh. Baaa… do you want to… umm… c-can I ask you for-" The girl quickly cleared her throat and bowed. "Hi! I'm Mae! Nice to please you!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke then gave the kunoichi a strange look **.** "What?" they both asked at the same time to what was by far the strangest wording of a greeting they'd ever heard.

Quickly realizing what she'd just said, Mae's face lit up red as she then started to panic, "No, no, no! Not that! Ahh! Stupid! Stupid!" the girl shouted while pounding the sides of her head. "Damn it, brain! That's not what I was supposed to say! Just… calm down, girl!" Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the still blushing Genin turned back to Sasuke and grinned. "Let's start over. Hi! My friends call me Mae."

Relaxing a little when he saw the girl did as well, the Uchiha smiled, "Hey. Nice to meet you, Mae."

"W-What's your name? If I may ask?"

"It's Sasuke," the boy nodded, "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh. Really? That's so cool," Mae chirped, her once confident bravado having taken an unexpected right turn down a rather confusing path as she attempted to engage the cute looking boy in a normal conversation. Unfortunately, due to how flustered she was now to being stared at by the good-looking youngster, the girl was really struggling to find the right things to say. "Y-You have the same letter at the start of your last name as _I_ do!"

"Yeah?" Sasuke responded calmly with a smile, "That's nice."

"Yes! Yes it is!"

Her teammates, who were watching this new interaction from a distance, could only shake their heads in amusement at how adorable and painful the scene was.

With Mae reduced to a blubbering mess and trying to speak in coherent sentences to the hidden leaf's resident genius, a stunned Sakura leaned over and nudged Naruto in the side. When the boy looked at her, the girl whispered to him, "I-Is this Mae girl… related to you in some way, Naruto-kun?"

The blond smiled and nodded, "Actually, yes. She is. Apparently she's my cousin." When his teammate recoiled, the kid shrugged, "I know. I was just as surprised when I found that out myself. She's from the _Uzumaki Clan_."

"Y-You're kidding me?" Sakura mumbled, at the same time looking across at the girl. When she saw the girl twiddling her fingers and doing her best to chat up their teammate, the pinkette smiled. "Wow. Heh. She kind of acts a little bit like you. You know… with her facial expressions and verbal tics. Not to mention her smile is quite similar to yours."

"In a way," Naruto chuckled. "Somehow she ended up in _Kirigakure_ from whatever village my people originally came from, and has been living there ever since. Though I don't know exactly how she turned up in that country, I'm very interested in finding out." His statement earned a bark from his friend Tama, whose tail was currently wagging happily behind his head.

As the two members of Team 7 had a blast watching Mae awkwardly stumble about on her words and feet in front of the perfectly calm but pleasantly smiling Sasuke, and Kakashi was busy reading nearby, the other squads from _Konohagakure_ who were still standing in the background were currently checking out the other members of Mae's squad.

While the kunoichi with the black hair and spears hanging off of her shoulder was certainly quite unique in her appearance and character compared to most of the other children they'd run into, the other two weren't that ordinary looking either.

The team from _Kirigakure_ consisted mostly of girls. Their Jonin leader in particular was a gorgeous and curvy young woman with long brown hair tied into a high bun, but had most of it hanging down her back, with pink lips and sharp, striking green eyes, and a beauty mark in the corner of her cheek. She was also wearing a blue combat dress styled like a gi that accentuated her curves and showed off her ample cleavage, with fishnet leggings and arm bands filing out her uniform. Her attractiveness was so striking in fact that even Asuma and Kakashi couldn't help but stare at her for a few moments, until the former was caught by Kurenai, which prompted the man to quickly look away.

"Something you like?" the raven haired woman asked the man with a frown.

The large man with the beard cleared his throat while blushing, "N-Nope. Nothing interesting."

"Are you sure about that?" the kunoichi repeated with a firmer tone. "There isn't anything in _that_ direction that catches your fancy?"

"I swear, there's nobody in that group that is in the least bit attractive," the man replied, suddenly finding the trees standing nearby quite intriguing. His rather flustered responses caused an observing Kakashi to chuckle a little, while Izumi just shook her head in enjoyment.

Shikamaru and Ino, who'd also been observing the exchange, just gave their teacher a funny look before turning back to their original task.

As for the Genin in the Kiri group, the lone boy in the team was a tall, pale young man with long brown hair combed to the right side and shaved on the other. He was currently wearing a blue kimono battle robe with long sleeves, an orange obi wrapped tightly around his waist, and white gi pants and black sandals. From his long, incredibly sedated expression, it was clear to the kids from _Konohagakure_ that he was the calmest of their squad, and probably the smartest. In terms of physical strength and capabilities though- that remained a complete mystery.

The other female Genin in the group was also quite eye-catching. Sporting a deep tan over her whole body and a cute face, the girl also had long silver hair tied into two pig tails high up on her head, as well as a pair of sharp yellow eyes that seemed to pierce through the shadow of her fringe. Her top was of a long-sleeved tai chi design that was tight at the shoulders and body, but loose in the forearms to allow for easier movement. It was also buttoned up to the middle of her chest, exposing some white bandages wrapped around her breasts underneath, which were surprisingly ample for her age. The kunoichi was also wearing a black short skirt and white, baggy leg warmers on each calf. Aside from appearing quite spunky and tomboyish, she also seemed to be a quiet type as well. Unlike her teammate who was currently gabbing it up with Sasuke and his group.

Overall, much like the other two Genin squads from _Iwagakure_ and _Sunagakure_ , each of the young ninja on this team appeared different and imposing in their own unique ways.

"That girl with the silver hair looks pretty serious too," Kiba remarked with sliding his hands into his jacket's pockets. "She kind of reminds me of you, Hinata."

The Hyuuga girl grunted in response, "She's very quiet and reserved… definitely the most mysterious of her team." To be honest, their male teammate also seemed quite enigmatic in comparison, and was clearly doing his best not to stand out.

However, that didn't mean there wasn't much to talk about.

"I haven't heard much news coming out of _Kirigakure_ , except that they were experiencing some internal problems up until several months ago- what with the purges and in-fighting that was going on across the islands," Izumi Uchiha- the Jonin leader of Team 11- said towards her colleagues Asuma and Kurenai. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting to see anyone from their village showing up to today's demonstration."

"You'd be surprised at how resilient the people of _Mizu no Kuni_ (Land of Water) can be," Asuma some up, at the same time pulling out a cigarette and popping it into his mouth without lighting it. "The fact that they were able to send a team out here to participate in this international exchange proves that."

"Especially since they're in the midst of rebuilding both their government and their village after the war," Kurenai informed, while also moving a little bit closer to the other Jonin. "This upcoming Exam will be a really good opportunity for their state to reestablish their reputation and presence in the world… and show the people all over that they are still an active force in the Elemental Nations."

"If that's the case, then that means the team they sent here today must be a pretty damn good one," Izumi said, the realization of which drawing an intrigued look from her and the rest of her team.

Tayuya drummed her fingers against her bicep as she stared across at the Kiri Team- particularly its two quiet members. "I wonder just how strong those guys actually are."

"If they're anything like the trio from _Sunagakure_ , then they must have some pretty interesting skills and abilities hidden up their sleeves," the previously quiet Yakumo remarked- the girl in the purple kimono decorated by cherry blossoms eyeing the group carefully. Her teammate Kurumi also nodded her head in agreement.

The troop from the Hidden Sand looked pretty menacing- especially their youngest member. If there was ever a team to really keep your distance from, it was _that_ one.

Seeing as Naruto and Sakura were still chatting with Mae, Kiba- figuring he could also be a bit more social- smiled broadly and stepped forward. "I think I'll go over there and say hello."

Shino, seeing his friend move forward, spoke up, "I wouldn't recommend it, Kiba. Her friends probably aren't in the mood to talk."

The Inuzuka stopped and smirked back at his teammate, "Aw, come on. If Naruto is allowed to get chummy with those guys, there's no reason why we shouldn't at least make the effort. I think that guy's got the right idea making nice with the teams from the other villages."

Hinata, keeping her own hands in her pockets while remaining at Shino's side, gave a small smile of fondness towards the blond in question. "But Naruto-kun's not like you, Kiba-kun. People actually _like_ him." Her comment caused a nearby Tayuya to snort out a laugh, while Kurumi did her best to hold back a giggle as well.

The brown haired Inuzuka frowned back at his Hyuuga teammate. "That hurts, Hinata." A smile quickly returned to the energetic kid as he puffed out his chest. "Whatever. I don't care." His gutsy response afterwards drew a glance from the two members of the _Kirigakure_ team who were standing behind Mae- a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Naruto and Sasuke. "I'm gonna go over there and show those guys from the Hidden Mist who they _really_ have to watch out for in these exams! After all, Naruto's not the only _top dog_ around here!" Kiba then turned around, his eyes landing on the silver haired girl and her teammate, both of whom were looking in his direction from several yards away. "Yo!"

"Who's the top dog?"

The moment the kid spoke, Ryofu answered- but from a place no one was expecting.

Kiba and pretty much everybody else froze in place when they realized the silver-haired kunoichi from Kirigakure's Genin team was no longer standing next to her teacher or squad mate. In fact, almost instantly, she was now standing directly behind Team 8 and by extension everybody else. All the squads from _Konohagakure_ standing in the area- with the exception of Hinata, Kurenai, Asuma, Izumi, and Tayuya- jumped in alarm before spinning around, and quickly spotted the aforementioned girl posing there with her arms crossed and glaring at all of them.

Shikamaru stared at the girl, completely stupefied, "W-What the heck?"

"How the hell did she do that?" Ino mumbled, unable to believe what she'd just witnessed either.

All of them had been staring right at the Genin and, without warning, she ended up disappearing and reappearing right under their noses. Neither of them had even blinked when it happened, though a lot of them were now suspecting that they might have, because the kunoichi had seemingly teleported from several yards away to within just three feet of their nearest Jonin instructor. What's more, it looked as though she hadn't even broken a sweat and was simply staring back at her audience with her usual stoic disposition.

Asuma raised an eyebrow when he saw the girl glance across at him. "Whoa. She's fast."

Across the way, Utakata and his team leader noticed their wayward kunoichi had positioned herself amongst the Konoha contingent. When they saw the reactions slapped across the groups' faces, the Jonin in the deep blue, revealing battle dress exhaled exasperatedly and propped a hand on her hip.

"There she goes… showing off again," Mei Terumi chirped, unable to hide the rather entertained smile on her face. "I bet she must've given them quite a start."

Utakata also shook his head in agreement with his teacher's words, "Sometimes I wonder if she does that by accident or on purpose." Probably more the latter than the former. Both of his teammates were weird that way. But he enjoyed hanging out with them nonetheless.

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Mae- who'd been caught up talking with one another- had also become distracted from their conversation when they noticed what was going on nearby.

"Ah. Looks like Ryofu-tan went over to say hello to your friends," Mae stated with a light chuckle.

While Sakura reacted in a similar manner to the rest of her friends who had lost track of the girl, Sasuke and Naruto were glaring at the kunoichi with their gazes narrowed and a rather intimidating glint visible in both their eyes. It was similar to how Hinata, Tayuya and Yakumo were now looking at the kunoichi, as they were the only ones aside from the Jonin who were able to see the girl move.

Despite the fact that they were able to catch her actions in the first place, the reality that she could move that fast was quite alarming- as it was clear from the sweat that appeared on a few of their faces.

" _That was pretty fucking impressive,"_ Tayuya thought, her frown deepening even more.

" _She moves just like Kakashi-sensei does,"_ Sasuke also remarked in a surprised tone, at the same time recalling just how quick their teacher actually was. _"That's a seriously quick Shunshin no Jutsu."_ (Body Flicker Technique)

As Naruto and Tama were also considering the lightning fast kid for a moment, the white fox perched on the blonde's shoulder suddenly stood up. Hair rising on her back and blue flame appearing on her tail, the spirit animal gave a low growl as her expression transformed from calm to aggressive in the blink of an eye. Her action caused the jinchuriki to look at her in surprise for a moment, before then turning back to Ryofu.

The moment his eyes landed on her a second time and he focused his senses, Naruto felt his own expression turn to one of shock when he picked up something very ominous and powerful radiating from the girl. Though it was for a brief moment and no one else was able to sense it, through use of the same chakra his friend had been teaching him to manipulate, the youngster was able to pick up the signature of an entity so immense and so enormous that the child almost felt his heartbeat still.

This strange chakra, which he felt emanating from the girl, seemed to morph into a haze directly behind her. When it did, Naruto found himself gazing across at the blue, blazing face of an enormous, reptilian beast- with eyes burning with fire, a mouth lined with enormous fangs, and a brow and chin engulfed in embers. The azure creature's maw surrounded the calm Ryofu completely as she faced down the Rookie Twelve, all of whom were completely unaware of the power that was spilling from her body.

In fact, from the looks of it, they had no idea it was even present.

But the jinchuriki saw it. He felt it. He _tasted_ it. And for but a split second, Naruto was petrified by it, as the eyes of the blue mirage towering over the entire district and- by extension- the entire Village of the Hidden Leaf, glared down at him like a pair of suns, and gave a low growl.

" _W-What the hell is that?"_ Naruto thought, feeling his body quiver for a moment when he gaped up at the creature, before following its form down to the kunoichi it was coming from. _"Some kind of enormous power is dwelling inside of her."_ His eyes landing on the source, he saw the silver haired girl's golden eyes glance past his friends and fixate on him. The instant their pupils met and locked both of them in a world isolated from everybody else except them, the delinquent clenched his fists tightly and frowned. _"No. Is she…?"_

Feeling the aura emanating around her fade milliseconds later- along with the image of the monstrous creature shadowing her- the boy knew right away that this girl wasn't an ordinary kunoichi.

She was something else entirely.

Having gotten the reception she wanted from the people around her, Ryofu grunted and proceeded to walk back to where her team was. Strolling past Hinata and Shino, the former of whom was still glaring at her rather heatedly and anxiously at the same time, the tanned female spoke. "Hm. I think I've seen enough. Nothing but a sideshow."

Catching this, Ino gritted her teeth and spoke up, "Hey! What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

The silver haired beauty glanced back at the girl, "Exactly what you think it means. I can see that neither of you are the top dog around here, nor are any of you the strongest ninja… at least not in this group." Ryofu then stopped when she came upon Kiba. Facing the boy and seeing the adolescent stiffen under her stern gaze, the kunoichi looked him over once before scoffing. " _You_ don't even come close to being either, I'm afraid."

The Inuzuka immediately took offense to this and growled, "What?" His question didn't even receive an answer as Ryofu simply brushed past him, leaving the kid gaping after her. "Oi! Are you being serious right now?" His question was followed by a loud bark from an equally outraged Akamaru.

Just as she was about to reach Utakata, Ryofu spared a glance across at Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Her golden eyes seemed to pierce right through the group, causing all three of them to shiver momentarily at its intensity. When her gaze lingered for a few seconds longer than it did back amongst their colleagues, the kunoichi smiled before finally reaching her team- stopping next to her male comrade and holding her spot.

Over where the _Iwagakure_ group was standing, Kurotsuchi, sensing a rather tense atmosphere fall over the hidden leaf Genin, placed her hands on her hips and gave the scene a strange look. "What was that all about?" All she received in return from her teammates were confused shrugs and looks.

As for the _Sunagakure_ team, who had remained pretty quiet throughout most of the morning they'd been there, was now eyeing the _Kirigakure_ squad with incredible focus and intensity. Even their team leader- an imposing man with the traditional uniform of the shinobi of the sand with a turban that covered a part of his face- was regarding the group with caution.

Raising her chin slightly, the golden haired girl in the pink gi and skirt grunted when her eyes set themselves on the silver haired kunoichi. "I like that girl," Temari remarked, a smile coming upon her like a small ray of sunlight. "She's got spunk."

Her brother meanwhile, keeping one eye closed, clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Peh. Chicks that have a cocky attitude really get on my nerves. Dibs on not fighting her if it comes down to it."

In response, his sibling looked across at the boy and grinned teasingly, "Don't tell me you were intimidated by her little display as well, Kankuro?"

The boy with face-paint scoffed and turned his head away, "You think I'm scared of a runt like that? No way."

Amidst the exchange of his siblings, the youngest one kept a stern gaze locked on the Genin with the silver locks. Though he didn't show it outwardly, the surprise that he'd felt at seeing her move so quickly had been effectively masked by the cold look of concentration he currently had on. His black-ringed eyes seemed to bore into the female's head like a pair of drills, coaxed on by a voice in the back of his head, telling him to be wary of her.

As much as he'd wanted to react, the youngster kept his cool, and opted to remain where he was to continue observing things from a distance.

After several minutes had come and gone, the collection of children and Jonin were soon interrupted by the appearance of a handful of Chunin appearing at the gates. When they opened the large wooden barriers to the tunnel, they then asked for those specially assigned Genin squads and their Jonin instructors to come through.

With the call finally made, the members of Team 7 along with Kakashi waved to the others from their contingent, before following the other groups through the passageway. Several meters of strolling down the sealed cement lined shaft, the four shinobi groups then spilled out into a wide open area. Surrounded by a high wall running around the entire arena, the squads of shinobi found themselves in the fighting area of the village's Chunin Exam Stadium, where the main event of the tournament took place for all those young prospects who managed to make it this far into the trials.

Obviously setup as the final hurdle for all those looking to earn a promotion, this stadium was made to house upward of a hundred spectators, with balconies built in the lower areas for competitors and a large one closest to the roof of the colosseum's main structure. This particular viewing platform was reserved especially for the Kage, where they would be able to watch the battles taking place from the most optimal position.

Speaking of which, up in this particular podium, Mikoto Uchiha was currently present, along with four other male and female officials- all of whom were dressed in different robes and bearing the logos of the other big villages. The stands themselves were also filled with a small audience consisting of other important looking people, including judges from other towns, shinobi, and a handful of civilians from Konoha that'd turned up to observe. These individuals were shortly joined by the other Genin teams and their instructors, all of who filed into the stadium from the adjoining corridors running within the bowels of the stadium.

After looking around the arena and taking note of a line of trees and bushes growing along the wall towards the back, the four squads from the other villages then saw another team walk in through a second tunnel- the group sent from _Kumogakure_. When Naruto spotted Samui- along with her companions Karui, Omoi, and their team leader Mabui- the blond smiled and waved to the former, to which the former responded in kind. The other two walking alongside her also greeted the delinquent when they noticed him, with even their Jonin captain nodding to the kid.

Unfortunately the squads didn't have any time to catch up. Several moments after the last group of Genin arrived, their Jonin team leaders directed all of them to form a straight row in front of the spectator stands positioned above them. Once all of them were assembled into a straight line, their team leaders took up positions directly behind them, upon which every single person present in the arena turned to face the leadership and crowd in front of them.

The moment she saw the groups form up, Mikoto stood from her seat. Her rise caused everyone in the stadium to fall silent, as the Fifth Hokage then made her address. "Good morning to all of you. As leader of _Konohagakure_ and head of the shinobi faction residing within _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire), it gives me great pleasure to welcome our esteemed representatives from the other Five Great Shinobi Countries, the delegates from our neighboring allies, and the people of the hidden leaf, who have turned out today to witness these proceedings," the Uchiha leader said, while at the same time bowing to the individuals seated alongside her and the people sitting in the stands below. Following her humble greetings, the raven haired woman then turned her attention to the Genin teams below and held a hand out towards them. "The event we have today will be a trial run of one of the Chunin Selection Exams' previous main events, as requested by the other four Kage and their ambassadors."

As soon as she finished saying this, the delegate from _Kumogakure_ \- a dark-skinned male wearing white and blue robes and an eboshi hat- rose up from his seat to address the stadium. "Before the Hokage goes over the details of this presentations, we delegates humbly request that the team leaders introduce themselves and their squads who will be participating in today's ceremony." His statement was backed up by a nod of agreement from each of the statesmen present in the chairs.

"We will start with the Genin Squad Captain from _Kumogakure_ ," Mikoto spoke, her eyes moving to the far right of the row formed by the Genin.

Doing as instructed, the beguiling, dark-skinned Mabui stood at attention with her arms poised firmly behind her back and her chest held out. "Mabui Yamazaki, acting Captain of Team Bee and representing the _Village Hidden in the Clouds_ : Samui Shimizu, Omoi Kimura, and Karui Nakahara." The moment she spoke their names, the three Genin of the team all bowed to the delegates within the audience.

Following up, the turban-wearing leader Suna's squad straightened up with his arms at his sides. "Captain Baki of Sunagakure's Team 1, presenting Sabaku no Gaara, Sabaku no Temari, and Sabaku no Kankuro." Upon being introduced, only the two oldest siblings bowed low, whereas the youngster with the gourd merely closed his eyes and lowered his head.

After their introduction, which caused a momentary stir amongst the Konoha contingent up in the stands, the _Kirigakure_ Jonin took a step forward with her arms at her sides. "Jonin Mei Terumi of Kirigakure's Blue Team, presenting Genin squad members Ryofu Sawamura, Utakata Akagawa, and Mae Uzumaki." Just like the Kumo squad before them, each of the team members bowed towards the audience calmly and respectfully.

Of course, the announcement of one of their names caused the Genin of _Konohagakure's_ faction up in the stands to gape down at the ring, with even their Jonin instructors recoiling in surprise. The reveal was actually so startling that Asuma actually ended up dropping the cigarette he had sitting between his lips.

"H-Hold on a second," Ino exclaimed while leaning forward on the railing the three squads were gathered in front of with her eyes wide. "Did she just say _Uzumaki_?"

"I believe she did," Kurumi answered, while at the same time looking down at the adolescent kunoichi with the spears hanging off of her back in the _Kirigakure_ team, "So that means… that girl over there-"

"Is from Naruto's clan," Choji concluded, his stunned expression mirroring everybody else's in their troop. The only one who didn't appear surprised was Tayuya, who was actually looking quite amused at the shared reactions from all of her Genin colleagues, which she could clearly see from her place in the very middle of their row. "Man. That's insane."

"So that's why the two of them were chatting with one another earlier." Yakumo, also appearing somewhat stumped, then crossed her arms and smiled a little. "That kid's got a lot of explaining to do after all this is over."

When the Kirigakure Genin straightened up from their bows, the _Iwagakure_ team leader- a woman with blonde hair shaved on one side and combed over, with a burn mark on her right cheek and sharp black rings around her blue eyes, wearing the standard Jonin uniform of her village- stepped forward and crossed one arm over her chest. "Commander Dana Akamine of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps and Leader of Squad 3, consisting of Kurotsuchi Kamizuru, Akatsuchi Dotani, and Kari Fukuyama." At this introduction, the trio from Iwa all stood at attention before their audience like a proper group of soldiers.

Once their greeting was made, the masked Kakashi straightened his back and stood at attention before the small crowd. "Kakashi Hatake, Jonin Leader of Team 7 of _Konohagakure_ , presenting his Genin team to the delegates today: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki." The instant all three of their names were read out, the trio also straightened up and bowed towards their observers.

A clamor immediately went up among the groups of foreigners, with the representatives from _Kusagakure_ , _Amegakure_ , and several other states across the continent juggling Sasuke's name between them. Obviously being the son of the Fifth Hokage, a renowned prodigy, and a survivor of the attack that'd taken place on his clan all those years ago, there was apparently a lot of excitement to be had from his presence here in the arena. It was a revelation that did not go amiss by either of the boy's teammates or the Rookie 12, who waited for the whisperings to die down before Mikoto Uchiha- with the approval of the men and women on the balcony with her- carried on with her announcements.

"Now that that is settled, we can now begin explaining the details of today's exhibition. At the agreement of the ambassadors, in order to deliver a fair and honest assessment within the time constraints of today's prearranged schedule, we request that each of the five teams present the second strongest and most capable member of their squad to participate in a free for all, five-way battle in this arena," Mikoto Uchiha informed.

Immediately after this, the _Sunagakure_ ambassador- a female kunoichi wearing her village's uniform and a turban- leaned forward and spoke. "The reason why we are requesting this are for a number of different reasons. Not only is the arena only able to accommodate a handful of contestants at a time, but those who are chosen will be setting the individual standard that all Genin participating in the Grand Chunin Exams are going to be expected to meet."

"While it is not a requirement that all individual team members be expected to perform at the same level as those fighting today, this demonstration will give everyone a general idea as to what they can expect in the coming events, and give the newer teams ample enough time to prepare," the ambassador from _Kumogakure_ added, making sure that his voice was heard across the entire stadium. "This is merely an exhibition and nothing more."

Mikoto nodded while turning her gaze back to the groups below. "Despite how irregular this may seem from a technical standpoint, this was a request that was unanimously agreed upon by all the officials present. That's why we are expecting those who have been selected to take part in this trial to give us a good and clean performance."

Down in the arena, Sakura frowned a little when she did a mental breakdown as to what was being said. _"I guess the reason they are only asking for the second most capable team members to participate is so that they can hide the abilities of their number one candidates."_ This was understandable from a clandestine point of view. In a game of wits, nobody would ever want to reveal their trump card to the opposition right out the gate. However, in order to raise interest in the exhibition and coming tournament, the delegates had set this up in a way that, while they weren't going all out, they were still flexing their muscles enough to make an impact with their rivals.

From an alternate point of view, it was like a game of shinobi poker.

Everyone had a certain number of cards in each of their hands. While the values of the cards between each one was different, no one had a single idea of who had the upper hand because each card was unknown. By using individual power as a basis for this demonstration, each side was being given the opportunity to either bluff or go all in to win the pot. Whether or not the value of the cards that they were holding was higher than the other's was entirely depended on who they picked to partake in this test.

Of course, this did present another obvious problem.

" _Who would the second strongest candidate of each team be?"_ Sakura thought, while at the same time glancing down the row to see all of the serious faces looking up into the stands.

As far as she knew, everyone wanted to be the number one, top performing Genin in their squads. Nobody wanted to be second or third. Unfortunately for her, the pinkette knew exactly where she stood in this placement, which made sense given her history of training.

For the two male members of her team though…

"We request that each of the squads send forward their second strongest members," the delegate from _Iwagakure_ spoke up roughly- the man with the beard and robes folding his arms and eyeing the squads carefully from where he sat. "The decisions as to who, we leave entirely up to either the squad or the team captains."

A commotion then started up among the stands, with many in the audience and the Rookie 12 beginning to discuss with one another as to who would be picked. Guesses and bets were made, whereas a number of others were left scratching their heads. But after the first few seconds, a couple of the squads down in the arena quickly made their decisions.

Without needing to say a word, the spiky haired Kari from the _Iwagakure_ team stepped forward- his arms crossed in front of him and a big smile pulled across his lips. The other members of his team all looked on approvingly as he gazed across the spectators and up towards the balcony where his village's ambassador was sitting.

For _Kumogakure_ , after hilariously having a quick game of jan-ken-po with one another, Omoi eventually stepped forward, leaving a really agitated Karui standing beside a thoroughly entertained Samui. The boy with the light blond hair and the sword on his back stretched his arms out and smiled across at the member of Iwa's team, while simultaneously rolling his lollipop about in his mouth.

Over in the _Sunagakure_ circle, the two oldest siblings ended up hissing and bickering with one another as to who was the better ninja out of the two of them. While their argument had Baki sigh and shake his head at their antics, Temari wound up glaring down her younger family member and, after seeing Kankuro step down, marched into the spotlight and grinned proudly up at the audience. To her, she'd just one her small little victory for the day.

At around the same time the fan-user was chosen, over in the _Kirigakure_ team, a quiet and calm Ryofu moved several paces forward as well. Her eyes closed and arms folded over her chest, the wild card kunoichi took up position in the same transparent row as the other seconds- all of whom eyed her warily when they saw it was _her_ who was the one to take the spot.

As for _Konohagakure_ , while the Genin contingent were still debating over who would be chosen, everyone was surprised when they saw Sasuke wordlessly and without hesitation move away from his squad, and stepped out to join the other candidates selected. Though the expressions on his team's faces remained calm and resolute, the rest of the stadium appeared genuinely bewildered that the supposed genius of their generation was willingly volunteering for second best in his team.

"Hang on a second," the Kumogakure delegate beside Mikoto spoke up while looking over the side. "Your son- Sasuke Uchiha- is the second best candidate in his team?"

The Fifth Hokage cracked a smile and looked across at the bewildered ambassadors alongside her, "Surprised?"

The man in the eboshi looked back at her and frowned. "That… doesn't seem right. How can your son be among those that were picked out?"

"Surely there has to be some kind of mistake," the woman from Sunagakure's governing body spoke up next. Obviously she was expecting someone other than an Uchiha to be selected for this test- as she was well aware of the clan's reputation and high fighting capabilities. It was also one of the reasons why a couple of them voted in favor of a free for all match against the second-best achievers in the groups, because they suspected Sasuke would not be counted, thereby giving them a bigger advantage.

The only one amongst the representatives who didn't appear to object to this was Kirigakure's delegate, who simply sat there with his arms crossed and appearing completely calm.

When the ambassadors received to answer from Mikoto, save for a cryptic smile, the four members from the big villages turned their attention back down to the arena. While the question as to who the teams' second strongest candidates below first place was answered, the next one that came immediately afterwards was who out of those that remained were in fact the heaviest hitters?

All eyes slowly turned to the row behind the five individuals who'd stepped forward, with those in _Konohagakure's_ Rookie 12 turning their attention to Naruto. Seeing the blond standing there with his hands in his pockets and his white fox companion perched on his shoulder, began to speak volumes amongst the squads that'd been selected for this trial. Those that remained in the row with him also glanced in his direction cautiously and now began considering him with outright interest and caution.

Kurotsuchi blinked, _"Naruto-kun's the best in the squad?"_ She certainly wasn't expecting that. _"And here I thought the Uchiha would be the one calling the shots."_

" _This much I expected,"_ Samui thought to herself as she and Karui checked out the rest of the competition, particularly those on Konoha's end. _"After all, he is pretty fantastic."_ This was coming from personal experience.

" _There's a kid who's actually a more capable ninja than an Uchiha? And the son of the Fifth Hokage no less?"_ Kankuro thought, also finding the results of the selection amongst the teams quite hard to believe. _"What kind of Genin would be better than the son of the village's most powerful shinobi?"_ He'd heard stories of Mikoto Uchiha. To have another operative chosen over them to be the better ninja, just didn't sit right with him.

Even Temari was considering the blond with interest- who didn't seem to be making a show of his title amongst his colleagues. He was a cool customer, much like her youngest brother.

Mikoto, moving forward once more, then nodded to the chosen candidates, who stood in their own row ahead of the others. "Now that the choices have been made, I'd like to ask those that remain to make their way up to the viewing balcony. To the five Genin, I suggest all of them move to separate spots on the arena to begin the trial."

Her instructions were heard loud and clear. The moment that they were given, the Jonin teachers quickly guided their teams up to the viewing platform, which was the same spot where those that would've normally passed the regular exams' first two stages to reach that point would go to stand. However, just before Kakashi could usher Sakura and Naruto on to follow the others, the latter quickly walked over to Sasuke and, after a quick tap to the Uchiha's shoulder, whispered in the genius's ear.

"Watch out for the girl from _Kirigakure_ ," the blond hissed, causing his friend to glance at him. When his charcoal eyes met the blue eyes of the jinchuriki, the prodigy quickly took note of the intense glow the delinquent currently had in them. "Seriously. She means business."

After staring at him for a moment and processing his heavy words, Sasuke nodded, "Gottcha." He then glared back ahead of him. Once his message had been relayed, Naruto moved on.

A quick hike up the stairs inside the arena's cement corridors eventually led them to the viewing zone, where both the youngsters and their adult instructors moved over to stand at the railing. Though remaining separated from one another via their teams, the squads still managed to come together to get a good look down at the stadium below.

As all of this was happening across in the competitor's viewing spot, across in the stands positioned beside the private box, a few other minor events were also taking place. In the minutes following the selection of the five participants, a handful more people had started to enter the stadium from the village to see what was going on. Aside from the Third Hokage- Hiruzen- and a couple of his bodyguards showing up and discreetly finding a couple of seats in the surrounding aisles, the Rookie 12 also found themselves joined by a couple more familiar faces.

"What's going on, guys?" Tenten's cheerful voice suddenly called out, drawing several of the gazes from the Genin standing in front of the railing- particularly Tayuya, Kurumi and Shikamaru. When they saw the girl trotting towards them with a glowing smile on her face, the kids all responded in kind.

"Oh. I was wondering when you were going to rock up," the red-headed flute player commented, at the same time noticing that the kunoichi with the Ox Horn hairstyle and pink blouse was also accompanied by two other boys and a Jonin. Almost immediately upon spotting them, Tayuya and the rest of her companions identified the three newcomers as her teammates, which then led them into their next topic, "Ah. And it looks like you brought some company too."

"Uh-huh," Tenten nodded, while happily coming up alongside the girl she viewed as a close friend of hers and sticking her hands to the rails beside her. She then pointed over to the pair that stopped a few paces behind her. "These guys are my teammates. The dark-haired one with the big eyebrows and dressed all in green is Rock Lee. And the one with the brown hair and jacket standing beside him is Neji Hyuuga."

When everyone's eyes fell on the Genin in question, they saw the former straighten up, salute, and greet them with a cheerful, "Yosh!" The other adolescent however, keeping his arms crossed and eyes cold, merely gave the girls and boys he saw a dignified nod, before turning his attention to the stadium ring below.

Ino moved her head forward to get a better look at the newcomers, while at the same time shrugging, "They seem nice."

Her comment earned a nervous laugh from Tenten, who couldn't hide the bead of sweat that ran down the side of her face, "Eh-heh… in a way." She then raised a hand beside her cheek and leaned forward- which in turn prompted Tayuya, Kurumi, and Ino to do the same. "Just… don't freak out when two of them start getting weird. Seriously. It can be quite… _overwhelming_."

Shikamaru frowned, clearly not liking what he'd just heard. "What do you mean by that?"

"So these are your underclassmen friends, Tenten-san?!" the cheery voice of her aforementioned squad mate in green- Rock Lee- exclaimed as he stopped right beside the girl in pink. While the kunoichi exhaled tiredly with a dreadful expression coming upon her, the boy with seemingly boundless spirit and bravado beamed across at the kids gathered on the walkway. "It is a real pleasure to meet all of you! Such a magnificent day to be out and about in the world, wouldn't you agree?!"

"Uhh…" Kurumi murmured, not really knowing what to say as the tall Uchiha girl looked the newcomers over. "I guess."

"Yeah. It is," Tayuya murmured, before then looking down at Tenten. When she saw the miserable look on the older girl's face, the redhead gave her a wry smile. "I think I understand what you've been talking about all this time." After all, she'd heard the shuriken specialist talk about her teammates several times before and, though a lot of it had been kind and flattering, the rest of what she had to say had been… _bizarre_. That was putting it mildly.

Her response understandably had Tenten give a light groan and rest her head on her arms, while Rock Lee continued to innocently grin at the collection of Genin that were now giving him strange looks.

As the kids got introduced to Tenten's team, their teacher and leader Gai- a physically fit looking man of great stature, as well as sporting an impressive bowl cut and eyebrows of his own- marched over to where Asuma and his compatriots were, and gave them his trademark greeting. This consisted of a thumbs up and a sparkly, well-brushed grin. "Why, hello, Asuma-san! Kurenai-san! Izumi-san! How is this grand day fairing the three of you so far?"

Pretty used to their colleague's character and exuberant nature, the bearded Jonin smiled pleasantly back at the man. "Pretty well, Gai."

"No complaints here," the mature woman with red eyes beamed back. "Though you showing up here with your team seems to have made our day just a little bit brighter." Hearing this from where she was standing, Izumi was about to speak up and say something, but the young Uchiha ended up slapping herself in the forehead instead.

Gai, feeling illuminated to hear this, raised his chin high. "Well, that's because my brilliant youngsters and I are always brimming with positivity and high spirit! You can't deny the power that a big smile and a healthy outlook on life can bring someone when used in the correct way! The power of youth is incontestable, after all! Incorruptible!" Realizing her stumble caused Kurenai to exhale and scratch her brow, while Asuma simply shook his head at the man's exclamations. Propping his hands on his hips, Gai then focused his attention down on the arena below and the kids he could see stationed there. "So… has the exhibition started yet? What's going on?"

Izumi, uncrossing her arms, directed her gaze down to the arena as well. "Why don't you stick around and find out? I have a feeling it's going to get pretty good."

By the time Team Gai joined the Konoha Contingent in their part of the stands, the spectators, as well as the five squads specially chosen from each of the big villages over in the viewing box, saw that the five Genin down in the pit had separated from the center to take up positions around the arena's perimeter. However, while Sasuke, Omoi, Temari and Kari made sure to put some much needed distance between one another, Ryofu remained standing exactly where she was- close to the middle with her eyes closed and arms folded.

The Chunin that'd come out onto the pitch to referee the coming match looked down at the girl in confusion when he saw she hadn't budged an inch. "Are you sure you want to be starting there?" Hayate asked, his expression appearing pale, tired, but serious all the same. "It's a pretty precarious position to be in. I wouldn't recommend it."

The silver haired kunoichi said back in a firm voice, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Hearing this, the official nodded before turning to look around at the candidates surrounding the field. Noticing that all of them were in varying states of readiness- Sasuke standing with his hands in his pockets, Temari with her fan out and propped on the floor next to her like a staff, and Omoi rolling his lollipop about between his lips- Hayate cleared his throat. "The outline for this battle is simple. The five of you are participating in a free-for-all skirmish between individuals from five different villages. That means every single combatant standing across from you is fair game. No allies. No partners. The only rules is that there are no shots below the belt and no killing. This is just an exhibition match. Understood?"

While Sasuke, Ryofu and Omoi nodded, Kari smirked broadly and rolled a shoulder, "That's cool with me." He then lifted his hand and proceeded to undo the ties holding his bandages wrapped around his hand.

"Though it's a shame there's no killing allowed," Temari spoke up as well, at the same time bouncing her folded-up fan on the ground and knocking a small divot into the floor. "That would only make this contest too easy."

Ignoring the gutsy girl's comment, Hayate raised a hand and looked around at the others behind him. "The match will go on until either the Hokage or myself decides to put an end to it. Just like with the regular exams, all weapons and jutsu are permitted in this match. We have Medic-Nin on standby in case any accidents occur." He then glanced across in the other direction. "We may commence as soon as all of you have given me your consent. Does everyone here understand what has just been explained to them? And are you ready to begin?"

Looking from left to right, the Chunin saw all of the Genin there give nods of understanding, with his eyes falling lastly on Ryofu. Once he saw that all of the kids knew what was going to happen, the official took a deep breath before dropping his hand.

"You may start… _now_!" he informed loudly, before springing back as quick as he could to get out of the circle that the kids had formed.

The entire stadium then went dead silent as the five competitors- sans Ryofu- fixed their glares on their competitors across the arena. With no obstacles or other people obstructing them, the Genin set in the center of the stage had clear lines of sight towards their opponents, whom they were now taking the opportunity to size up.

From Sasuke's perspective he had many options to take. While Temari was looking ready and waiting and Omoi had just reached up to grip the sword he had strapped to his back, the only one who didn't seem worried in the least was the silver haired girl from _Kirigakure_. In fact, since she had her eyes closed and a completely at ease look on her face, she seemed like the easiest target there. Of course, looks were usually deceiving, as what the _Iwagakure_ Genin Kari was about to prove.

When the Genin looked towards the brown haired boy and saw him unravel the bandages on both his arms, all of them- including the audience- got quite the surprise when they saw a whole bunch of what looked like sealing tattoos and kanji running up and down his limbs. These strange markings of black ink, all of which were formed into full sleeve tattoos on both his arms, were arranged in seemingly random formations, with the most notable kanji present being the symbol for 'explode'. Upon unsheathing his arms from their wrappings, the youngster flexed his arm and sneered.

"So… who's first?" the boy asked, while sparing a glance across at Temari, whom he saw frown in his direction. "Because if I'm being honest, I'm a little bit spoiled for choice." This statement was immediately followed up by him clenching both his fists, the knuckles of which popped loudly and clearly.

Omoi, after surveying the competitions for several moments, then smirked around the stick in his mouth while slightly drawing his blade with an audible _click_. "I guess with so many opponents in the area, everyone's having a bit of a hard time picking who to go after." He then drew his sword with a sharp sliding sound of steel, the blade of which flashed through the air when he set himself in a standing stance. "Unfortunately, you're not going to find any weak adversaries in this arena. Not today."

His remark caused a listening Sasuke to smirk across at the boy, "Well, you're certainly right on that count, friend." This in turn earned a smile from the blond boy from Kumo, who the Uchiha quickly took a liking towards. In that instant, the Uchiha discreetly unclipped the back of his pouch and drew a couple of shuriken from the bag, while at the same time activating his Sharingan. The moment his eyes flashed red and his two pairs of black tomoe appeared around his pupils, every single kid present in the arena was quickly put on high alert. "Alright. If no one will make the first move, then _I_ _will_."

That was his only warning. A split second later the raven haired boy leant forward and threw his hands out, unleashing a cluster of ninja stars across the arena towards a patiently waiting Temari. The kunoichi in question spotted the weapons flying right at her and, with blindingly fast movements, the girl kicked up her fan, opened it to the first purple circle, and swung it through the air. A gust of wind then shot out and knocked the weapons off of their intended course, sending them cascading uselessly to the ground around her.

The second the shuriken impaled the floor safely around her, the golden haired beauty had already returned her fan to its original position, but with its body partially open. Upon which she then glared across at Sasuke.

"Oh? So it's going to be like that, huh?" Temari asked, before leering dangerously. "Alright then, handsome. Let's see what else you can do!" She then swung up her fan again and brought it back for another attack, during which time she cracked it open to the second purple circle of its fan. "Second Sta-" However, before she could finish, the girl suddenly glimpsed a flash from her side and quickly snapped her attention in that direction in alarm.

" _ **Bakuton: Bakusai Fu!"**_ (Explosion Release: Explosive Wind)

Temari barely had enough time to shield her body with the entire form of her fan before it was hit square on by a torrent of fire, which detonated with concussive for and filled the entire area with a thick cloud of smoke. The tremors generated from the explosion stunned everyone, as they then watched the kunoichi's body come sliding out the opposite end of the cloud, trailing ash. Her fan having protected most of her from the explosion, the girl then looked up from her crouched position in alarm, where she quickly saw the white smoke fade and reveal Kari standing on the other end with his left hand extended towards her.

The other Genin in the arena looked on in disbelief to see the brown haired boy grinning across at the stunned kunoichi from _Sunagakure_ with excitement burning in his eyes. "Be careful now. That kid's not the only one you should watch out for here."

Up in the observation box, the Genin teams from the five villages that'd moved there were rather stumped by what they'd just witnessed. Even the Jonin that were present there were a little caught off guard by the sudden and sharp show of force from the _Iwagakure_ Genin.

"Did he just… throw _fire_ from out of his _hand_?" Karui asked, feeling rather intimidated by the size of the explosion that'd rocked their part of the stadium. "What the hell?"

"He wasn't holding back with that one at all," Samui also noted, as she and the others saw the trench that'd been torn through the ground from where Kari was standing. "Judging from the consistency and speed of the blast… I don't think it was a fire release technique. The combustion yield was way too high."

"It was _**Bakuton**_ ," (Explosion Release) Kakashi spoke from where his Team 7 was standing, causing the other kids in the nearby teams to look across at him. Despite wearing his mask, from the widened look in his eye, it was clear he was just as caught off guard as everybody else. "A combined nature kekkei genkai that mixes two different nature transformations into a single element- earth and lightning- to give the user the ability to use explosive chakra in combat."

Sakura shivered when she saw the amount of damage a single hit from that attack had done to the ground. "Whoa. Seriously? I… I wouldn't want to get caught up in something like _that_." Especially after seeing how effective it was. That girl from the Suna team almost got blown to pieces.

Putting his hand to his chin as he watched the boy from the Iwa team rise up from his throwing position, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Judging from those weird markings running up and down his arms, I'm guessing Kari is using some kind of fuinjutsu to channel and direct the explosions generated from his chakra." This much was obvious from the way he'd directed the focus of his hand towards Temari, from which he generated that flash of light. "That's a pretty clever idea actually… seeing how volatile his kekkei genkai is."

Baki, who was watching from behind Gaara and Kankuro, couldn't help but frown a little at what he observed. " _Iwagakure_ has a knack for producing shinobi specializing in highly destructive and explosive techniques. And it seems like that youngster down there is no exception," the Jonin said, at the same time looking across at Temari to see the kunoichi slowly struggle to her feet, at the same time hiding behind the shield of her war fan. "If I'm being honest, with that kekkei genkai, and his ability to literally wield it in the palm of his hand… that boy has easily established himself as the most _dangerous_ Genin in the arena right off the bat."

Kari smirked when he saw Temari dust off her arm, "Ready to give up?"

In response, the kunoichi smirked, "Ha! In your dreams, punk!" She then snapped her fan closed, spun it around, and set it behind her while taking a fighting stance. "Unlike you, I haven't even started yet!" With a quick, backhanded motion, the girl drew a couple of kunai and pitched them right at the Iwagakure Genin, who she saw slide into a defensive position.

Both hands at the read, the boy thrust one of them forward and unleashed another flash from the seal on his palm. A small _bang_ rang out when a small spurt of fire filled the air and knocked the two kunai out of the sky, before Kari clenched his other fist, drew it back, and took aim at the kunoichi. "Now that's more like it! Bring it on!"

Just as he was about to unleash another attack towards her though, Kari suddenly spotted a shadow darting around behind him. Reacting quickly, the kid spun around and found Omoi charging right at him from his blind spot- sword drawn and with the blade swinging directly towards his head. Gritting his teeth at the sight of his attacker, the brown haired youngster thrust his hand towards the Kumo Genin and fired off a quick blast at the incoming sword- the force of which knocked the weapon back and sent the wielder himself skidding back across the floor from the aftershock.

The instant he fended off the youngster, Kari suddenly saw Sasuke Uchiha come rushing at him from the other side, and diving at him with a kunai aimed towards his head. The Konoha Genin closed in on the Iwa Genin in an instant, who quickly dodged the boy's strike and thrust his palm towards the kid's head in a swift counter.

The sight of the approaching blow had the Uchiha's eyes widen before ducking, barely avoiding the flash of the explosion that left his hand a split second later. After swinging around with his kunai and missing when Kari jumped back to dodge, Sasuke then pivoted and unloaded a swift kick straight into Kari's midsection. The Iwa youngster managed to block the heavy hit with his forearm, but was still knocked off his feet by the force.

Leaping up into the air when Omoi swung at him again with his sword, Kari gave a laugh of amusement, "Two on one? Now that's not fair! Is my ability really that _SCARY_?! HRAAAGH!" Throwing both hands down, the boy then unleashed two more blasts from his hands with two resounding _claps_ \- sending the white balls of fire streaking towards Sasuke and Omoi's positions.

The explosions that followed smashed two five-foot wide craters into the ground, pelting the surrounding field with rubble while the two Genin sprinted out of range. The instant Omoi rolled out of the way of the wave of debris, he leapt to his feet and charged at Sasuke, who had also skidded to a stop with his kunai drawn. From there, the Uchiha backpedaled, skillfully avoiding a couple of strikes from his dark-skinned opponent.

When he blocked a downward strike from the Kumo Genin, the pair then found themselves in a deadlock as they glared across at one another through their blades.

Sparks flew when Sasuke dragged his knife down the kid's katana, which then resulted in him smiling, "No friends in a free for all, huh?"

The kid with the lollipop stick in his mouth smirked back, "Afraid not."

After a few seconds of grappling, the raven haired genius quickly leapt over the kid's head and performed an acrobatic flip, at the same time Omoi threw him off and performed his own spin. The instant Sasuke swung down at the blond with a kick, the youngster retaliated with a swift upward one of his own- their feet colliding with a loud thud and sending both Genin skidding away from each other.

The second Sasuke touched down and rolled, he pitched his kunai back at Omoi, who used his sword to deflect the blade before sprinting off to the side. It was a good thing he did too, because the instant he moved, another explosion rang out when Kari took another potshot at the pair from where he'd landed.

Fireworks and sparks began flying in the arena as the three boys engaged one another in a close-range and middle-range slugfest, which saw bits and pieces of the arena scattering everywhere. Nevertheless, the show of explosives and blade work now taking place between the three determined Genin served to entertain the villagers and delegates watching from the stands, who also applauded when Sasuke dove down at Kari, only to have the latter keep his distance with a series of small blasts from his hands, which kept the Uchiha at bay.

While all this was going however and everyone was preoccupied with the flashiest of the battles taking place, Naruto had his eyes glued on the silver-haired girl from the _Kirigakure_ team. Ever since the Chunin called for the match to start, the boy noticed that Ryofu hadn't budged an inch from her spot, and was just standing there in the center of the arena, watching the rubble and smoke billow around her.

Heck, aside from being momentarily surprised at the _Iwagakure_ Genin's use of his kekkei genkai, the girl's expression hadn't even changed either. Even with the fighting that was going on now, it almost seemed like she just intended to stand there and watch it all happen.

However, while her eyes were set on the fight going on just a few yards away, the kunoichi seemingly failed to spot a large shadow falling over her, as the form of Temari suddenly came diving down at Ryofu from behind with her fan folded up and held overhead. The moment she came within reach of the bored-looking female, the Suna girl gave a loud yell and drove her weapon right down onto her target's head. The instant she made contact, an earsplitting bang rang out as she practically caved in the floor with her hit- sending a cloud of dust belching into the air around her.

The teams watching from the balcony nearby all gaped when they thought they saw the Suna kunoichi flatten out her silver-haired compatriot from the hidden mist. But when the dust cleared seconds later, it revealed Temari crouching there with her fan buried in the floor, and with no Ryofu in sight.

"Huh?" the oldest of the sand sibling gasped, her eyes darting around in alarm. "W-Where the heck did she go?"

All of the Genin and people who were watching were confounded. Having completely lost sight of her, all of the kids began looking around the arena to see where she had gone.

As it turns out, only a couple of people had been able to see what'd happened. When the Genin in the observing box saw Naruto and Kakashi looking towards the far wall of the arena, everyone followed their gazes in the same direction. They all then blinked in surprise when, exactly four stories above the ground, standing against the side of the wall perfectly horizontal to the floor, Ryofu was hanging there with her arms crossed and a completely unamused expression on her face.

Tenten, who'd seen the attack happen, was now gaping up at the _Kirigakure_ Genin above them. "Whoa. Did you see that?"

Even her teammate Neji gave a blink of surprise, "She managed to jump that high in such a narrow timeframe?"

The fact that she was able to cover that distance from such a precarious position, while avoiding an attack from behind with minimal effort, was simply astonishing. It even took Temari a little while before she was able to relocate her target and once she finally did, everybody else that was fighting in the arena or watching from the spectator seats, had already spotted the offender.

Soon, everyone's attention was now locked onto the girl standing over two dozen feet above the ground, who in turn was glaring back down at the contestants in kind.

Tayuya grunted from where she was standing, "That chick is just full of surprises."

While the male Genin had stopped fighting enough to glare up at the kunoichi above them, Temari, giving a growl of frustration, yanked her fan out of the floor, propped it under her arm, and spun around. She then turned her frustrations on the girl that was now standing out of reach, "Hey! Are you just going to jump around and do nothing the entire time? Or are you going to get down here and fight like the rest of us?"

The girl's angry question reverberated throughout the entire colosseum. But despite her opponent's obvious irritation, as well as the fact that she now had the audience's undivided focus, Ryofu simply grunted as her eyes set themselves on the competition. "You wish for me to join in? Very well."

The moment she heard the girl's response, Temari's eyes widened when she realized the girl was no longer standing on the wall anymore. The sound of a footstep scraping behind her was soon followed by the calm Ryofu stepping out from directly behind the _Sunagakure_ Genin, who missed the sight of the silver-haired girl focusing her golden eyes on the back of her opponent's head.

"I shall adhere to your request."

Temari then wheeled around in panic, realizing the Kiri kunoichi was standing right next to her. _"Behind me?! But how?"_ The instant her eyes fixed on Ryofu, she saw the girl had thrown her body into a high-speed twirl, and was now swinging her leg towards the side of her head in a spinning back kick.

In bullet time, the fan-wielding kunoichi being targeted by the attack felt her heart stop cold, as in that moment she swore she saw the eye of a monstrous beast looking right back at her through the silver haired girl's intense irises…

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	23. Chunin Exam Arc I - The Beast Within

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _The Beast Within_

The amount of shock that Temari experienced upon seeing her opponent practically teleport behind her with seemingly no effort whatsoever, was equivalent to the astonishment that was expressed by the other contestants in the arena. Over half of the people present in the stands didn't even know that Ryofu had jumped down to the kunoichi until after they heard the loud _**clang**_ that rang out, which then led to everyone seeing Temari sliding across the floor on both feet, with her fan raised in defense.

Having reacted at the very last possible second, the older kunoichi of the Suna Siblings had managed to block the kick that Ryofu threw at her. The alarm at being set upon her from behind, as well as the fact that the girl had warned her in advance, had allowed Temari to deflect an otherwise potentially fatal hit to the head.

The fact that the kick managed to rattle her entire body and knock her back despite her guard was evidence enough that the attack Ryofu just used on her was no joke.

When Temari and the other three contestants looked across at the silver haired kunoichi, they saw the girl with the short skirt keep her leg extended high. Despite shamelessly flashing the white panties she had underneath and not giving a damn about it, the girl then bent her leg and brought her knee back to her chest, all the while her arms remained cross and expression calm.

A smile then graced the bewitching girl's lips when she saw Temari gaping back at her from behind her fan. "Bravo. I'm surprised you managed to block that. A second later and you'd probably be unconscious right now."

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Temari's head as she stared across at the smiling Kiri Nin. _"Her strength… and her speed… I haven't come across anything like it before. She's powerful."_ Her arms were still shaking from absorbing the force of her kick through her weapon. After shaking it off, the kunoichi took a deep breath and slowly rose to her feet, whereupon she then saw Ryofu drop her legs playfully back to the floor. _"This one… I have to be careful with her."_

While Ryofu was busy beaming at the golden haired warrior, her eyes then snapped to the side when she picked up a shadow passing through her peripheral vision. The instant she looked in the direction of Sasuke and Kari, she missed the form of Omoi darting around her from behind, with his sword drawn back and an intense glare focused upon the kunoichi. The moment he circled into range and saw her back was fully turned to him, the boy then took a swing at her back- only to watch the girl duck straight down and avoid his wide strike.

Omoi recoiled in alarm when he saw his foe drop down directly in front of him. _"Her back was turned! How did she-"_ Realizing his guard was open and the girl was now glaring right up at him from under the shade of her fringe, the boy quickly adjusted the grip on his weapon and struck downwards with a reverse strike, only to watch the cross-armed Ryofu spring forward and perform an elegant cartwheel close to the ground, effortlessly avoiding his attack.

Her eyes glued to her new target, Ryofu touched down on her toes and pivoted about. She then leant back sharply when the _Kumogakure_ Genin began lashing out at her with an impressive series of sword swings. His blade flashed through the air in multiple crescent arcs around to Kiri kunoichi, as the female expertly and effortlessly started dodging his attacks- all the while backpedaling across the arena.

Everyone watching from the stands cringed and winced every time they thought Omoi would hit the girl. But one after the other, with every step and without fail, the kunoichi avoided every single blow the skilled youngster attempted. Even when the Kumo Genin attempted to cut her off by changing directions, Ryofu would simply speed up and move even faster, keeping just out of reach of his blade.

When Omoi missed with a diagonal strike and attempted to snap out at her with a kick to throw off her rhythm, the calm Ryofu glided around his leg, performed an elegant twirl, and jumped away to land gracefully on the floor several feet away. Seeing her touch down drew a huff from the youngster, who then set himself into a low stance with his blade drawn back and its tip pointed in her direction.

" _Damn it. Not a single reaction,"_ the boy thought, sweat running down his face as he saw Ryofu's stoic and unchanging gaze looking right back at him. _"The way she's moving… it's like she knows exactly what I'm going to do before I do it."_ Even when moving at top speed, the kunoichi was able to outpace him with little difficulty. What's more, she didn't even seem to flinch.

With Omoi and Ryofu squaring off, the battle for them seemed to draw to a standstill. However, just when the dark-skinned lad was about to attempt a second run at her, the silver haired female was then put on the alert when, from out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw a large black mass flying towards her at high speed. The sound of rushing wind warned the kunoichi of approaching danger, who then quickly sprang out of the way to avoid the large Fuma Shuriken that went arcing across the ring.

Following it when she saw it fly upwards after missing her, the girl then saw the weapon get caught by an airborne Sasuke Uchiha. The second it landed in his grip, the falling boy then spun through the air, cocked back the shuriken and, with a gutsy yell, struck down at Ryofu with the four blades spinning around his fingers like a buzz saw.

Expression remaining unfazed, the kunoichi sprang back and dodged his swing, as well as the spinning kick that followed afterwards, and then the upward slash of the Fuma Shuriken he was still spinning. With the Uchiha utilizing the tool as a melee weapon, the youngster performed a multitude of stylish attacks upon his target, intertwining it with a series of flamboyant and spiraling movements in a way to disorientate the kunoichi. When she dodged a few more of his swings after skipping around him a few times, the Uchiha then cocked back the spinning blade and swung down at her when he saw her back foot become planted, only to get effectively shut down when the girl lifted her other leg and kicked the weapon right out of his hand.

Recoiling when he felt his weapon spin out of reach, Sasuke then saw the serious girl bring her leg back and prepare for a follow up attack. However, a smirk then came upon the raven haired youngster when, flicking his wrist, he then grabbed hold of the wire he had tied to the Fuma Shuriken. Stopping the weapon when it'd spun several feet out of his reach, the boy then slammed a foot down, tightened his grip, and yanked the weapon back towards him and straight at the silver haired kunoichi.

"Right back at you!" Sasuke shouted, feeling the weapon fly past his shoulder directly towards the kunoichi.

Ryofu, at first seemingly surprised by his maneuver, then broke a small smile at the approaching weapon. Pivoting her forward foot, the girl twirled on the spot and, with a loud _bang_ , expertly kicked the Fuma Shuriken flying to the side.

As it turns out, she'd managed to send the giant weapon soaring towards Kari, who'd been sprinting around the arena to reengage the other Genin. When the adolescent from _Iwagakure_ spotted the giant fan blade of a weapon flying at him, he gave a startled yelp before thrusting his hand forward, and unleashing a quick blast from his hand. The explosion smashed into the Fuma blade and shattered it, sending its bits and pieces pelting to the side.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kari shouted, quickly cutting away the smoke with his hand to clear the air, before clenching his right fist and drawing it back. As sparks began to shoot out from his knuckles, the youngster then took aim at the Kirigakure girl and growled. "Take this! _**Bakuton: Bakusai Fu!"**_ (Explosion Release: Explosive Wind) With another flash, the boy thrust his arm forward and unleashed a hot, transparent stream of heat that broke the sound barrier as it streaked towards Ryofu.

Feeling the attack approaching, the silver haired girl gritted her teeth and vanished in a flicker of movement. When the attack passed through the blur of her form that was left behind, it instead began streaking towards Sasuke, whose alarmed response prompted him to fly through hand seals, before slamming both into the ground.

" _ **Doton: Doryūheki!"**_ (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall) The instant his palms touched the earth, a massive section of the ground directly in front of him jutted up to form a protective barrier in front of him- complete with his clan's symbol engraved on its front.

Once the wall had been erected, the stream of combusting wind hit it, before detonating with such force that the sides of the barrier became pulverized by the blast and a crater was smashed into the floor. Sasuke literally had to hold his position as the gale kicked up by the explosion whipped at him from around the stone wall- the barrier in front of him cracking around the center and massive chunks of earth being blown from its flanks.

Even the stands got pelted by debris, with the Rookie 12 having to shield their faces from the hot wind that shot up at them.

"Fuck me! They're really going at it, aren't they?" Tayuya shouted over the rushing air hitting her and the rest of her friends from below.

"Hey! Language!" Izumi shouted back, glaring down at the flute player sternly from where she was hanging back with the other Jonin Captains.

Seeing the redhead pout at being called out like that caused Tenten and Ino to snicker, while Shikamaru did his best to hide his smirk of amusement from the embarrassed youngster.

Thankfully the explosion brought on by the attack didn't last for any longer than a couple of seconds and, once the shaking and winds stopped, all that was left hanging in the air was a thick cloud of dust.

Kari, at first glaring in the direction he'd let loose his technique in an attempt to pulverize his target, then blinked in shock when he heard a distinct footfall directly behind him and spotted a shadow in his peripheral. Alarm bells going off inside his head, the brown haired boy ducked as fast as he could, barely avoiding the left roundhouse kick aimed towards his head from Ryofu leaping out of the wall of dust that'd formed behind him from his own attack.

The kunoichi blinked in surprise when she saw the adolescent actually avoid her attack- her eyes snapping down to see the explosion user with tattoos on his arms wheel about before leaping up at her with a counterpunch towards her head. In order to speed up his attack, Kari set off a well-timed, small explosion directly from the seal behind his elbow, which sent his fist shooting up at Ryofu's face with double the acceleration and power behind it.

Viewing the scene in slow motion, you could see the shock grip the silver haired kunoichi, as for a brief, glorious moment, it looked as though the punch was going to make its mark. But then, with reflexes that neither Kari nor anybody else was expecting, the girl suddenly swung back the leg she'd used to attempt to kick him and kneed his approaching arm out of the way.

With inhuman flexibility and a sharp flick, Ryofu deflected Kari's incoming punch, sending it flying to the side and drawing startled look from the boy. Before he knew it, the kunoichi with the arms folded over her chest leapt off the floor, and kneed him in the side of the head with her other leg. The seemingly heavy attack crashed into Dari's head, which knocked the boy off his feet and straight into the floor.

When he hit the ground, his left side ended up punching a divot into the floor, with his left arm ending up buried in the soft earth. As soon as he was grounded, Ryofu quickly swung her left leg around, brought it up over her head and, with a frown, swung it down towards his head for a knockout.

" _ **Futou Ti!"**_ (Axe Kick) the kunoichi shouted in a foreign language as the heel of her sandal flashed through the air as it proceeded to drop.

But then, in the midst of her blow, Ryofu suddenly saw the earth directly beside Kari light up orange. Eyes widening in shock, the girl quickly stopped her attack short and threw her body back as fast as she could. It was a good thing that she did, because the second she leaned away, a torrent of white fire tore through the ground and gushed into the sky like a geyser, just grazing the girl's chest and nose at how close she'd come to losing both.

" _ **Bakuton: Jiraiken,"**_ (Explosion Release: Landmine Fist) Kari said, cutting off chakra feed to his left hand, which he'd had pointed upwards from where it'd ended up buried in the dirt. Smoke wafting off of his limb, the boy clicked his tongue when he saw Ryofu land a safe distance away with a slightly alarmed look on her face. "Damn. I missed."

Watching the dust settle around Kari's body seconds later, the silver haired girl grunted as a rather irked expression came over her. "You sneaky bastard. You moved your body in the direction of my jumping knee to absorb the blow and pretended to get buried in the ground, just to lure me into range of your own attack, huh?"

Without a word, Kari set off two explosions from his arms that stylishly shot him out of the small crater he was lying in and into an upright position. The instant he was on his feet, he carelessly dusted himself off and grinned mischievously at the girl. "I'm from _Iwagakure_. My squad is used to playing dirty. I suggest you watch out for more tricks like that… otherwise you're going to end up getting a rather nasty surprise."

Ryofu, feeling her grin widen a little bit more in excitement, then leered back at the boy. "Heh. Is that so? Well then… I'm looking forward to what other moves you have up your sleeve." The tone she said this with seemed to increase to a rather creepy level. Realizing what she'd just said and how she'd said it, the girl quickly clamped her lips shut and jerked her head forward slightly in surprise. _"Whoops… there goes my 'bad habit' again. I'd better watch it, for now."_

OOO

Watching closely from the balcony, the Genin teams from the five villages standing separate from the rest of the stadium could only look on in awe at how intense the confrontation had become. That last exchange in particular had put a lot of the kids on their toes, with even the Jonin that were observing appearing incredibly impressed at the combinations and moves that'd been put into practice.

Gripping the railings tightly, Sakura gasped in relief, "Whoa. That was close. Did you see what Kari just did?"

"He almost came close to blasting that Ryofu chick to kingdom come," Karui spoke from nearby, also looking caught off guard at what she'd just seen. "Good thing she caught on to what he was doing at the last second, otherwise she would've been deep fried by his attack."

"That's putting it lightly," Kurotsuchi then spoke up from her end, drawing the Konoha and Kumo teams' attention towards her. When the raven haired girl looked across at them, she grinned playfully. "Kari's tough and doesn't like waiting around for events to unfold around him. He always dives right into the thick of it, using the overwhelming strength of his kekkei genkai to smash an enemy's plan to bits."

"This much you can expect from the son of the top captain in the Explosion Corps, Gari," Akatsuchi added at the end, while at the same time gesturing towards their blond teacher standing behind him. "Dana-sensei taught him everything he knows. It's funny how she's now teaching his son the same things."

The woman with the black rings around her eyes and the burn mark on her pretty face smiled across at Kakashi and the others. She then shrugged at the looks she received, "It's become a hobby of mine training members of his family. All of them have so much potential to do great things. The trick is knowing how to shape them and steer their talent in the right direction."

Hearing this prompted the masked Kakashi to grin and nod, "I know the feeling. After all, I have three in my squad with the exact same problem. They all show a lot of promise." The way the teacher said this had Naruto and Sakura smile at his compliment.

Dana then eyed the other kids in front of the Jonin and pointed them out, "Looking at how well that Sasuke boy is handling himself out there, I'm assuming you've put quite a bit of time and effort into training him as a shinobi too."

"In a way. Though my methods are a little unorthodox, I'm happy to see that my apprentices are adapting to them so well and taking each of my lessons to heart," Kakashi stated, with a quick shrug following his retort. "A teacher's job is to make sure his students understand how the world works, both inside and outside of combat, and how to overcome whatever obstacles stand in their way. Even the most mundane activity and simplest of payoffs can mean a big difference in a shinobi's life. Really… it's all about the fundamentals."

"A shinobi of simple origins and core beliefs," Dana chirped, at the same time allowing a grin to cross her lips. "I gotta say, I really like that in a man."

"What can I say? I always aim to please," Kakashi replied with an equally enthusiastic tone.

Realizing what was going on, Naruto sighed and looked across at Samui, who was standing directly alongside him very closely. "Oh, great. He's flirting again." For some reason, whenever their team was out on a mission to a farm or a local business, their teacher inadvertently always found himself talking up some young woman that happened to be in the vicinity at the time. "Whether it's with some girl at a front counter or someone directly related to the client, sensei just can't resist the urge to shoot the breeze with them."

Samui nodded in understanding, "Mabui-sensei is exactly the same in regards to males." Discreetly glancing back at the dark-skinned woman standing in the background and listening to the Jonin banter, the blonde looked back at the delinquent and whispered to him. "Of course, she's a lot more aggressive with her approaches than your teacher is. You can probably guess what her regular attitude is like from the last time you spoke with her."

"Yeah. I can," the jinchuriki chuckled, drawing the attention of Sakura next to him, who quickly took notice of the pair chatting with one another. "Although… something doesn't feel quite right."

"What? About our teachers?" Samui asked, while at the same time cocking an eyebrow.

"No. About the way the battle's going on," Naruto corrected, before quickly nodding down into the arena below. "I've been watching that girl from _Kirigakure_ since the start of the match and it's just occurred to me that she hasn't thrown a single punch yet." His statement earned surprised glances from Karui, Samui and Sakura, all of whom quickly turned their attention to the kunoichi he was talking about. "In fact… she hasn't even uncrossed her arms since the referee gave all five Genin the greenlight to go."

"You're joking?" Karui exclaimed, her eyes quickly fixing on the silver haired girl and seeing that she still had her arms folded over her bust. "For real? She hasn't used her hands once? Not even to block? Come on. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you."

"No. Naruto-kun's right," Sakura spoke, while also leaning forward with a confounded look in her eyes. "That girl has been fighting using only her legs and feet. It's crazy."

Quickly thinking back on what she'd watched so far, the blonde girl from _Kumogakure_ then placed a finger on her chin and mumbled. "She's been dodging everyone's attacks and avoiding getting forced into a corner. Perhaps she's still feeling things out and choosing to hold back on using any of her jutsu until she is certain she can take out more than one person." After all, from the way she'd been ducking in and around each of the four Genin with that unwavering focus of hers, it certainly felt like she was leading up to something big.

Regardless, there was just something about that kunoichi that had Naruto and his compatriots on edge. They just couldn't figure out why.

As all this was going on, over where the _Kirigakure_ Genin were standing at the very end of the balcony, as the Jonin Mei Terumi was observing the battles taking place, Utakata and Mae had serious looks on their faces as they watched their teammate straighten up from where she'd landed. Having noticed the grin that'd briefly come over her, the boy in the blue robes inhaled sharply when he realized what was probably going on.

"Do you think Ryofu will be able to restrain herself this time around?" Utakata asked his teammate, whom he heard murmur thoughtfully at his question.

"I'm not sure," Mae replied, at the same time narrowing her eyes on her colleague to see her survey the Iwa Genin and the others currently populating the arena. "It _has_ been a while since the last time our team has gotten into a big fight. With the level of opponents currently surrounding her and with so much chaos going on, Ryofu-tan will either get so bored she'll end up spicing things up on her own… or she'll get pressured and forced into attacking. Either way, the beast will undoubtedly get set loose from its cage."

"That's only if the match goes on for that long," the Genin male replied, which earned a nod of agreement from the Uzumaki. "Here's hoping it doesn't."

OOO

Back down in the center of the arena where all the fighting was taking place, as Kari and Ryofu were facing off with one another and Omoi was busy clashing with Temari at close-range using their respective weapons, Sasuke had taken up a safe position a few yards out from where he'd produced his small defensive wall. Upon watching the brief exchange between the two Genin from opposing villages, the young prodigy of the Uchiha Clan narrowed his Sharingan on the silver haired kunoichi, and began looking her over more carefully.

After witnessing her in action so far and seeing how she responded to Kari's attacks, the young man couldn't help but feel really impressed at what he'd observed.

" _When Kari ducked her kick, Ryofu managed to swing her leg back around to deflect an immediate counter that was thrown at her from a sharp angle,"_ Sasuke thought, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head as he counted up the kunoichi's display of skill. _"For whatever reason, this girl is pouring all of her energy and attention into evading. She's deliberately dodging everyone's attacks at the last second and keeping herself just on the edge of danger. What's more, she seems to be studying her opponents' movements carefully… almost like she's looking for opportunities to perform counterattacks. But she hasn't done any yet."_

It was uncanny, but from the way this was going, this Ryofu girl was refusing to use anything more than kicks against her opponent. The fact that she hasn't uncrossed her arms yet told the Uchiha that the girl wasn't even using the full extent of her abilities, which both irritated and worried the young man quite a bit.

Her speed, strength, and reflexes make her an extremely capable taijutsu specialist. The way she moved and reacted to attacks with such razor sharp precision was so superb that it just boggled the mind to think that she was even a Genin. Even while everyone was going at each other from every possible direction, she was just dancing around them like their attacks weren't bothering her in the slightest.

Furthermore, from what he could tell, this girl didn't seem to carry any weapons on her person at all. Heck, she didn't even have a pouch or a leg holster. All she had were the clothes on her back and the ties in her hair. That was it.

Not really liking what he was getting into, Sasuke clenched his fist as he kept his Sharingan squared on the female. _"If she's just been observing us this entire time, then I'd better do something to get rid of her quick… otherwise she's going to become a big problem."_

While Kari himself was a powerhouse and Omoi was easily on par with him in close-combat, the Uchiha realized that the most dangerous foe was definitely the girl from _Kirigakure_.

Quickly slamming his hands together and flying through seals, Sasuke then inhaled deeply and took aim across the arena. _"If she's anything like Kakashi-sensei, attacks with a limited range are going to be useless against her speed. That means I'll have to use an attack that is effective over a wider area!"_ Upon feeling his chakra swell in his chest, the raven haired youngster then leaned forward and exhaled a massive ball of orange flames from his lips. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)

The ball of orange flames gathered together and grew to the size of an elephant, a split second before Sasuke launched the blazing attack towards Ryofu and Kari's position. While the latter spotted the incoming attack and bailed immediately, the Kiri Genin turned around just in time to see the wall of fire bearing down on her. It then impacted and detonated, causing another very large explosion to ripple across the arena and choke the area in embers and smoke.

As smoke belched outwards, leaving a large crater formed in the area of effect, Sasuke then watched the fumes die out to see if his jutsu had managed to hit home.

As much as he wanted that to have done to trick, when the veil lifted moments later, the Uchiha could only recoil in surprise when he saw the charred face of a large boulder standing in place of his target. When a breeze cast the rest of the plume away, Sasuke then saw Ryofu step out from behind the rock, with a rather annoyed look on her face as her eyes landed on the Uchiha.

"That was uncalled for. Are you trying to kill me?" the girl asked as the air cleared completely around her and revealed a massive hole sitting in front of the massive slab of earth that'd appeared in front of her. Judging from how the crater had been formed around it, it was clear that Ryofu had somehow- with brute force alone- ripped an entire chunk of the ground from the arena floor and used it to block Sasuke's jutsu.

The heat of the blast had torched the rock and the force of it had indeed left a crater. But the sheer density of the rock the girl had managed to yank out of the ground had been enough to shield her from the majority of the explosion. Though from the telltale traces of cinders and ash on her clothing, she didn't get away completely unscathed.

As for her mood however, she was clearly pissed.

Sasuke clicked his tongue when he saw his attack get shrugged off, _"Figures."_ Even with her back turned, she was still able to block an attack thrown at her from a distance. Her senses were absurdly sharp.

Meanwhile, over with Temari and Omoi, the duo's one-on-one fight had continued to drag out. The golden haired girl gave a shout as she spun her folded-up fan around and swung out at her sword-wielding foe, who quickly swung his weapon up and caught her attack. When the heavy weapon crashed into his katana, the Kumo Nin was forced to put one hand against the back of the blade to absorb the force of her hit, which caused his feet to drag back along the floor. Immediately after which a low grunt escaped his lips.

" _Damn. This girl's swings are heavy,"_ Omoi thought, glaring across at the kunoichi who was now trying to push her weapon through his guard to hit him. _"If she manages to land a clean one on me, I'm finished."_ However, due to the sword user being quite tough himself, the pair ended up getting themselves stuck in a deadlock, in which both were now pushing against one another with all their strength.

Sparks flew when metal grounded against metal. After once again trying to shove her fan through, Temari grinned at him, "You're pretty good. But is kenjutsu the only thing that you can use?"

The youngster smirked as he glared back at her through their clashing weapons, "No. I can use ninjutsu. But I'd rather not waste chakra throwing around attacks that probably won't make their mark. I'd much prefer settling this thing on _my_ own terms, _my_ way."

"Hmph. Fair enough," Temari replied, at the same time giving her massive fan a twist, which caused Omoi to jerk back slightly. "But unlike you, I'm not afraid to flex _my_ muscles." The instant she said this, while still pushing her fan against her foe's blade, she cracked open her weapon to the first purple circle- a sight that caused the Kumo Genin to blink in surprise. _**"Futon: Kazekiri no Jutsu!"**_ (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique)

All of a sudden, a sharp blast of wind erupted from her iron fan with barely a nudge from her hand, which slammed into Omoi's weapon and body, and sent him skidding back along the floor. Grunting when he felt his form get shoved back by the invisible attack, the blonde youngster decided to make a hasty retreated and darted to the side. Choosing to opt out at that point pretty much saved his skin, as Temari suddenly cracked open her entire fan, pulled it back and then dragged it through the air- taking aim at the entire arena.

" _ **Futon: Minami Reppu!"**_ (Wind Release: Southern Gale) The instant she swung her weapon, a deafening howl suddenly ripped throughout the entire stadium, as what felt like a hurricane erupted within the cylindrical building.

The entire audience and the ninja watching from the stands had to brace themselves against whatever surface they could cling to, as the fierce winds from the girl's fan tore over them. But while the currents up high were strong, the ones down in the arena were ten times as bad, as the entire area in the path of the kunoichi's fan was ripped apart by the twisting winds. Chunks of rubble and earth were ripped from the ground, and sent hurtling down the powerful vortex launched from Temari's primary weapon.

Everyone who was standing in its path dove out of the way, with Sasuke running straight towards the nearby trees, while Kari formed a hand seal, dropped to his knee, and formed a protective dome of earth over him. In a matter of seconds, the tornado that'd slammed down in the center of the arena had carved multiple paths of destruction across the entire ring and, once the energy behind the attack had depleted, the currents lifted, leaving on a cloud of dust hanging in the air.

Despite being only a practice match, the Genin participating really had to inclinations of holding back. The ambassadors were certainly impressed and so was Mikoto Uchiha, who found herself watching everything with vested interest.

Temari, seeing the clouds thin out and her competition scattered across the arena and hiding, with Kari's dome being the only visible thing in sight, the girl narrowed her eyes as she attempted to work out where everyone had gone. But just before she could do that, she sensed a pair of footsteps land behind her.

"That was fun. Got anymore?"

Without even needing to look, Temari spun around and, with a yell, prepared to hurl another blast of wind at the person that'd come up behind her. Her movements then came to abrupt halt when, with a sharp thud, the girl felt her fan get stuck beneath her as the Genin she was about to attack planted a foot right on the ridge of her weapon.

The individual that managed to stop the kunoichi in her tracks was the speedy Ryofu- her arms still crossed, her expression serious, and her left foot keeping the Suna girl's fang stuck to the ground. When Temari attempted to use her strength to dislodge her weapon, she was surprised to see that it wouldn't budge.

Noticing her opponent struggling to get her war fan out from under her heel, the Kiri Genin smiled. "Can't do much without your main weapon, huh?" When Temari's eyes snapped up to her, the kunoichi tilted her head. "That's the thing with one-trick-ponies. The novelty will eventually wear off."

Growling back at the girl, Temari then surprised her foe when a smirk crossed her lips. "Who said I'm a one-trick-pony?" The moment she said this, the kunoichi suddenly released her fan, causing it to drop and Ryofu to jerk forward when her foot slipped. The second she did, the Suna girl drew back her fist and socked the arrogant, silver-haired female in the face- a dull _crack_ echoing throughout the arena that caused everyone in earshot to wince.

The sight of Ryofu being sent flying back by the punch caused Ino to shout, "She got him!"

"Yeah! Nice one!" Kiba shouted, raising his fist and shaking it, while at the same time his furry companion Akamaru barked happily. After his first encounter with the girl, the Inuzuka was glad to see someone finally knock the smile off of that girl's face.

After seeing the girl skid to a stop a few feet away with her head cocked to the side, Temari remained where she was with her fist extended. A second later, the kunoichi then gave a yelp and withdrew her hand, before looking down at it in surprise. "W-What the hell?" When she checked out her knuckles and struggled to open her fingers, she saw that all of them were red and throbbing. "What in the world did I just hit? A brick wall?"

It certainly felt that way from where she was standing. Upon shaking the numbness out of her digits, the kunoichi quickly focused her gaze back on her opponent.

Not too long after coasting to a stop after being cracked across the jaw, Temari and everybody else then watched Ryofu slowly turn back around, all the while noticing the small smile that appeared across her lips. "Is that honestly the hardest punch you could throw?" Looking back at her opponent and revealing that she had blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth, the seemingly unfazed girl then gave the gutsy kunoichi a smirk, before sensuously running her tongue out and licking up the blood from her cheek. "Pedestrian."

The sight had Temari recoil in disgust, "Eww! That was completely unnecessary! Disgusting!"

Inhaling sharply, the silver haired Ryofu slowly straightened up from her position and, after giving a quick roll of her head, uncrossed her arms. Seeing the kunoichi finally and very slowly remove her arms from their position caused the fan user to take a cautious step back, as the expression that slowly crept across the Kiri girl's face became one of menace and ill intent. This only became enhanced when the shadow of her fringe slowly fell over her golden eyes, which seemed to glow with an eerie aura.

"This match has become really dull…" Ryofu said in a low and raspy voice, one that was far more threatening than her previously mature tone. "I think it's time I amped things up a little more… and got wild."

Her fingers curling into claws, the silver haired girl then started stomping towards Temari- who quickly kicked up her fan and took it into a two-handed grip. At the same time, Kari smashed his way out of his earth dome and stepped out, just in time to see the two girls face off against one another out in the open.

The situation quickly grew incredibly tense. But, just before Ryofu could come within reach of the slightly intimidated Temari, the girl's eyes suddenly snapped to the side before, with a dull crunch, she ended up getting kicked across the face by Sasuke dropping down at her from up high. Blood flying from her head, the kunoichi was sent stumbling across the arena in a momentary daze, before regaining her balance several paces later. By that time, Sasuke was already upon her again and laying into her with a series of swift punches across the face and body.

Dull thumps and thuds rang out as the Uchiha, with his Sharingan set at full gaze, struck at the girl from multiple sides, battering her body left and right with heavy blows. After a particularly nasty looking hook that almost crumpled the girl and sent her staggering to the side, Ryofu then reached out towards the boy's head with her left hand, which she had curled into a claw.

The sight of that odd action had an observing Naruto's eyes widen, with even Hinata and Tayuya narrowing their eyes when they sensed a sudden spike in murderous intent from the girl.

This moment only lasted a split second, because as soon as Sasuke saw her hand coming towards him, the boy swatted it away before returning her attempted grab with two swift jabs to the face, followed by a sharp elbow from above, and then nailing her in the ribs with a hefty body shot.

From there the audience and the rest of the Genin in the area, including Temari, proceeded to watch in awe as the Uchiha vicious clobbered and pummeled his opponent towards the arena wall. Step by step, punch by punch, he sent the silver-haired girl stumbling across the ring, until after a solid side kick in the chest sent the girl flying into the wall, which she slammed into with enough force to crack the concrete.

Groaning, the seemingly dazed Ryofu buckled on the spot and ended up leaning against the wall, with her arms dangling uselessly at her sides. Upon which Sasuke, seeing the blood from her forehead trickle down the side of her face, straightened up from his fighting stance and began marching towards her.

When the astonishment at seeing the girl get beaten down by the Uchiha finally reached the Rookie 12, a great cheer started up among the youngsters, with Kiba leading it. "YES! ALRIGHT, SASUKE! WAY TO GO, MAN!"

"You show that girl whose boss!" Choji also called out, before then throwing his fist into the air. "Remember! You're the _Culinary King of Konohagakure_! The greatest devourer of meat of our generation!" That last shout had Hinata, Shikamaru and Kurumi look across at him strangely, until memories of one of their group outings together quickly came back to them.

Yakumo, snickering at the Akimichi's exclamation, watched as the stoic raven haired genius approached his stricken adversary, who had yet to pull herself off of the wall. "Aren't you still the holder of that title, Choji-kun?"

The portly youngster looked across at the kunoichi in the purple kimono and grinned. "I know. I'm just trying to give him some extra confidence, is all."

Down below, Sasuke was feeling pretty fired up at the moment. After managing to get the drop on the girl, he'd managed to land some pretty effective and damaging blows on her. From the way his fists and feet made contact, he knew he must've given her some kind of a concussion, especially since she almost buckled after being sent into the wall. From the way she was just sitting there now, with her head down and blood dripping from her chin, it was apparent that she was hurting.

However, figuring that the best kind of possum was a thoroughly dead one, Sasuke wasn't keen on letting her off just yet. So, after shaking out his hands and ignoring the fact that they were a little bit sore from hitting something equivalent to a bag full of rocks, the Uchiha quickly darted towards the girl, drew a kunai, and thrust it towards her head- aiming to stop just at the neck so that he could hold her at point.

The speed of his approach and the timing was good. However, the instant he came within range of the limp kunoichi, a loud thump suddenly rang out, followed immediately by the Uchiha stopping sharply just two feet in front of her. A stunned look then came upon the youngster's face as an intense pain suddenly went shooting through his chest and body. His breath stopping short due to his chest seizing up, Sasuke slowly looked down to see what was holding him, where he found Ryofu's hand clutching the center of his chest, with her fingers burying into his top.

In an insane show of strength, the girl had managed to grip him so tightly that her fingers had punctured straight through his shirt and into his skin, and were now digging into the muscles around his chest and causing them to tighten like a strait jacket. Sasuke, feeling the pain increase when the girl's hand twisted and her fingers dug in just a couple millimeters more, choked out a gasp of air as he attempted to pull away, but was unable to.

Ryofu was latched onto him like a vice… and she wasn't letting go.

The members of the Rookie 12, who had previously been cheering Sasuke on and thinking that he was going to win, were immediately stunned into silence when they saw his seemingly stricken foe nail him in the chest. However, the way that she was doing it was unlike anything they'd ever seen before. It also served to surprise some of the Jonin who were observing, with Mikoto also expression bewilderment at seeing her son get stopped so effectively in his tracks.

"W-What the?" Sakura gasped when she saw what'd happened. "Sasuke-san! Is he…"

"Shit," Naruto cursed while gritting his teeth, "She got him."

Beneath the veil of her fringe, the seemingly dazed Ryofu allowed a murderous grin to creep across her face. When she heard Sasuke gasp again when her fingers drilled further into his skin, she then sneered. "Is that all you got?" Despite having received such a swift beating, which had managed to open a cut in her hairline, the girl was completely unaffected by any of it. "Heh. And here I let you and fan-girl go to town on me for absolutely no reason at all. What a letdown."

Sasuke- his Sharingan still activated- attempted to bring the knife he had in hand up and down on her. But the second his trembling arm lifted, the girl suddenly grabbed his wrist with her other hand, twisted it, and caused him to drop the knife. When he looked down at her, a look of utter fear and terror suddenly shot through his eyes when, through the shadow of her fringe, he saw her golden, glowing eyes leer up at him.

The sheer intensity of her gaze caused Sasuke to freeze in place, as a sudden surge of malicious intent surrounded his body and petrified every fiber in his being. Cold soon replaced the pain shooting through him, with the Uchiha leaning back when he saw the beastly grin that joined the girl's murderous and maddened glare.

It was almost like he was staring right at a creature from his worst nightmare.

"Here's a little secret for you, cutie. I don't fight like how you shinobi or kunoichi do. I practice a completely different art of combat," Ryofu hissed, a visible waft of steam suddenly lifting off of her body as a vein in her neck started to throb. The appearance of this artery seemed to double the intensity of her glare, as the Genin then released the boy's wrist, draw back her fist, and loaded it for a hit. "Allow me to give you a demonstration… at _**twenty percent**_ my base strength."

The instant she said this, a loud and sickening crunch rang out when Sasuke was nailed square between the eyes by an upward palm thrust from the girl, which not only momentarily cave in his mug, but also sent his entire body flying back. Blood trailed from the Uchiha's nose as his world momentarily blacked out. The force of the attack also caused a small burst of wind to shoot off of him, with the observing Temari, Kari and Omoi gaping in shock.

As soon as she threw the boy off of him, the Genin and the audience then watched in awe as the girl swung her hands about her in a swift yet smooth motion, her stance widening as she set herself in a very unusual fighting pose. With her index and middle fingers extended, thumb perched, and the other fingers curled back, the kunoichi tucked her elbows in and set her eyes squarely on her Uchiha target.

Exhaling deeply, the girl spoke in a calm yet haunting voice, _**"Gōngfū: Tánglángquán!"**_ (Kung Fu: Praying Mantis Fist) Then, in a blur of movement, the girl sprang forward and unleashed her assault.

Like a rush of wind, Sasuke was suddenly bombarded from seemingly all directions at once by a series of lightning fast and powerful of punches. The speed that each blow flew at him rattled his body, battering him as he was hit by dozens upon dozens of mantis jabs, phoenix punches, elbows, and finger strikes over and over again. He was barely even given a chance to scream out in pain, as every time a jab or punch buried into his abdomen or chest, his lungs effectively had the wind knocked out of them.

Grinning madly as she continued to hammer the boy with swift, repeating blows, the girl marched forward, pushing and pushing the boy back with punches, causing his feet to drag and stumble uselessly along the ground as she continued hitting him. Due to the sheer speed of her attacks it looked as though she was striking him completely at random. However, this was not the case, as every single jab and punch she threw was targeted- nailing the point in all of his vital points and over where his organs were.

Even his limbs received the brunt of the assault, his shoulders and joints at the hips being hit, shutting down all motor functions to his arms and legs, and preventing him from either guarding effectively or retaliating. Not like he was being given the chance, because the girl was attacking him so fast that her entire body had practically transformed into a white shimmer on the wind.

Omoi, watching the girl's attacks from his perch on the tree, could only stare in disbelief as he saw Sasuke get pummeled all the way across the arena and to the other side without break or pause. "Holy shit… that's ridiculous. I can't even keep up."

Seconds of attacking later and the battling pair eventually reached the arena's other wall, in which Ryofu finished her ridiculous combo with a double mantis jab to the gut, which knocked him off his feet and slammed him into the barrier. The concrete almost caved in from Sasuke being slammed into it with such force, the boy spitting out blood as his battered and bruised body crumpled forward. But just when it seemed like he was about to fall over, his hand managed to fly out and grab the wall, stopping him from collapsing.

Eyes glazed over and blood dripping from his mouth, nose, and head, the bludgeoned boy gasped for air as his knees shook from losing all strength. Now that he was able to breathe again, every inhale he managed was like filling his lungs with revitalizing soup. _"W-What the hell was that…?"_ the youngster gasped, unable to feel either of his feet or hands, due to how numb he was. Attempting to look up, the child bucked forward when his right leg almost buckled. _"She… She hit me in all of my joints and pressure points… I… I can't…"_

He just couldn't believe it.

As he hang there, doing his best to get power back into his limbs, the Uchiha missed the sight of Ryofu stepping forward, turning sideways to him, and then bending over. The look on Ryofu's face was one of spine-chilling curiosity, as her irises and pupils had dilated, giving her calm face a very ominous air.

She inspected Sasuke's glazed over face for a moment, before a sickly smile tugged at her lips.

"Hmm… the meat isn't quite cooked yet… but it's still nice and tender," she whispered in a raspy voice, which caused a still conscious Sasuke to stiffen fearfully when he heard her. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could still see her legs and feel her eyes on him- like a pair of lasers boring into his head. He didn't even need to look up at the kunoichi when he heard her tongue drag across her lip in a hungry manner. "Now… should I boil you… or grill you?"

Before the girl could reach a decision, she unexpectedly and very sharply sprang back, just in time to avoid the sword slicing down at her from above.

" _ **Kumo-Ryū Mikazukigiri!"**_ (Cloud-Style Crescent Moon Beheading) Omoi shouted, managing a downward, wide arcing swing from his katana that managed to chase off the silver haired female that'd been looming over the battered Sasuke. Following up with a second strike that forced the Kiri Genin to a distance, the dark-skinned boy quickly drew his weapon back into a two-handed grip before glancing back at Sasuke. "Yo, man. You okay?"

Sasuke, breathing heavily, gritted his teeth and shakily straightened up. When his Sharingan locked onto the boy that'd jumped in to save him, he sighed, "I'll live." When he saw Omoi nod and turn to face his target once more, the Uchiha smirked. "Whatever… *cough*… happened to 'no friends in a free-for-all'? Wasn't that what we agreed on?"

Smiling at the boy's smartass quip, the youngster from the Kumo team chuckled, "This time I'm going to have to make an exception." Grin disappearing as he tightened his hold on his sword, the blonde sneered. "This chick… she's strong. With the way she moves and reacts, it's going to take a lot more than the two of us to take her on head-to-head."

"No shit," Sasuke breathed, his feeling slowly but surely returning to his extremities. "Even with my Sharingan activated, I could barely keep track of her. She was so damn fast."

"Which is why I'm postponing our man-to-man quarrel to deal with her first," Omoi continued while narrowing his eyes on the girl, who seemed to be glaring back at him with an irritated scowl. Clearly she hadn't liked being so rudely interrupted from her fight. "Strength like that is far above the standard norm. Forget fighting someone of Chunin level. It's almost like we're tackling a full-blown Jonin."

Ryofu, managing to straighten up from her hunched over position, then put on another menacing smirk as she eyed the newcomer. "Ah. Some more prime meat has arrived. Good…" She then tilted her head back and spoke in a louder, more excited voice. "I think I'll have this one… medium rare."

"HEY! OVER HERE!"

The shout from the side caused Ryofu to glance to her left, where she saw Temari standing with her fan at full draw and held back.

When she saw the silver-haired kunoichi look at her, the Suna Genin barked at her, "If you want to fight someone so bad, come at _me_! See how that works out for you!"

Blinking at the other kunoichi in the arena, the martial artist smirked and wheeled about, allowing her gaze to fall fully on the girl. "Siding with the others to gang up on one person? How equitable of you." Upon saying this in a slightly sarcastic tone, Ryofu's irises dilated once more as yet another monstrous grin yanked across her lips, which allowed her to bare all her fangs upon the fan user. "Even so, if you think coming at me with sheer numbers is going to do you any good… think again!"

Temari snarled as she swung her fan forward. "FUCK OFF! RAAAAAAAGH!" she screamed, before unleashing a tremendous blast of wind towards the girl now standing out in the open, away from the other Genin. The cyclone seemed to collide with Ryofu's position and, with a deafening howl, smashed that part of the arena with a barrage of air currents, which came flying in from all directions. The result was more chunks of the ground being blasted into smithereens, with debris belching into the air and forming another wall of dust that billowed out in all directions.

Sasuke and Omoi, standing close to the epicenter of the storm, had to shield their faces from the hurricane blast, which nearly knocked both off their feet.

After a few seconds of feeling the monstrous gale batter the arena, the audience felt the storm die down, and watched with baited breath as the dust thinned out. Temari as well was panting after putting so much chakra behind that move, and watched as the wall of dust hanging a couple feet in front of her started to lift.

Just when she was thinking she'd managed to finally take out the insane bitch from _Kirigakure_ , the sound of a tongue clicking suddenly had Temari recoil in horror when- stepping out of the cloud directly in front of her- Ryofu appeared from the haze with her left fist raised.

"My turn," the girl said calmly, before effortlessly jabbing out and smashing the kunoichi square in the face.

A loud _**bang**_ rang out when Temari was hit by the punch, a loud yelp leaving her when she was knocked off her feet and flying across the arena, before slamming into the floor and being dragged through it. Her hard landing caused her to drop her fan, which bounced out of reach while she skidded to a stop, clutching her face and crying out in pain.

The audience meanwhile was baffled at seeing Ryofu so easily dispatch the girl, as she continued walking towards her at a casual pace. The manner in which she slowly approached the downed Temari was similar to a horror movie villain moving in on a helpless victim. With the way the dust was settling behind her, it certainly gave her that sense of overwhelming presence and power.

Temari, after managing to rub out the pain, slowly got to her knees and removed her hands. Realizing she was bleeding from her nose, the girl looked up through a pained expression, where she then saw Ryofu standing just a few feet from her. When their eyes met, she saw the cold, murderous grin of the girl on her, whose expression was enhanced by the blackness cast by her hairline and brow.

The sight of her golden eyes sent a chill through the intimidated Suna Genin.

"This feels _**so**_ good," Ryofu said in a breathy, almost sensuous voice, which matched the air of menace wafting around her. "This sensation of conquest… letting my 'bad habits' run loose and take control of my inhibitions after keeping them suppressed for so long… it's like nothing in this world can stop me." She then leaned forward and eyed the girl from the hidden sand village lewdly. "Come on. Give me more. I want to watch you struggle and writhe against me as I pound your tight body into the ground. I want to feel your muscles grind against my skin. I want to hear you squeal…"

Completely freaked out by the girl's wording and tone, Temari clenched her teeth and drew a kunai from the pouch behind her. With a shout, she then leapt from the ground and lunged at the girl with a jabbing motion of her knife, only to see the girl effortlessly side step around her blow. She then attempted to slash out at her a second time, then a third, shouting with every swing she attempted. But after several tries, none of her swings hit their mark.

After throwing a kick that was checked by the girl, the golden haired fan user then tried one last jab. She staged out with her knife, but when the grinning Ryofu dodged it, the Kiri kunoichi then struck her in the chest with her palm, which caused an unexpected reaction.

The blow resounded with a dull _crack_ , which prompted Temari's body to freeze in place, mid-thrust. A stunned look then came upon the kunoichi's face, her mouth dropping open as she attempted to gasp, but found that her entire body from the neck down had been effectively paralyzed. This left her standing as still as a statue in the center of the arena, her arm extended in its last striking position and feet cemented to the floor.

"M-My body… it's… frozen…" Temari gasped, eyes darting about in terror, as she had no idea what the hell had happened. When she attempted to move, all she got back was a feeling of complete stiffness, as none of her muscles were responding. Another attempt at breathing ultimately led her into a full blown panic, as she could barely get any air back into her lungs."I… I can't… breathe…"

Removing her hand from the kunoichi's chest, Ryofu grinned as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. "You just wait right there," the girl said while licking her lips hungrily. "I'll savor the taste of your sweet juices in a moment." This not only gave her a good view of Temari's unmoving body, but also allowed the entire stadium to observe exactly what was going on as well.

OOO

Needless to say, everybody was stumped.

"How the heck…?" Asuma began, jaw dropping slightly as he saw the kunoichi from Kiri back away, leaving her opponent frozen in place. "What the hell did she just do to her?"

"She… paralyzed her opponent with a single blow to the solar plexus?" Kurenai mumbled, unable to believe what she was witnessing either. "Is that even possible?"

"If you hit the right nerve points at the same time, yes," Izumi began, her own Sharingan having activated to see what was going on. She then narrowed her gaze down on the scene as she and the Genin in front of her watched Ryofu take a stand a few feet from Temari. "But… that would be next to impossible to pull off unless you had a dōjutsu that could allow you to see inside a person's body. Or if you have a complete and thorough understanding of the human nervous system."

That level of knowledge was just beyond the capabilities of a mere Genin… maybe even a Chunin. Whoever this Ryofu girl was, she was trained and taught specifically how to fight and target these parts of the body. This much was evident from that strange fighting style that she'd used moments before to attack Sasuke, which had consisted entirely of fast, accurate, and consistent strikes that targeted critical points on a target's body, allowing her to shut down their movements and prevent them from defending themselves affectively.

This appeared to be no different from that. In fact, it seemed to be a more advanced form of what she'd been done before.

While all of the Genin in the Rookie 12 were completely shocked and awed by the sight, similar expressions of disbelief could be seen reflected on the members of Team Gai. While the Jonin leader had his wide eyes set on the field, Rock Lee was gripping the railing in front of him and leaning forward in clear astonishment.

"She… She's not moving!" the boy shouted, his hands clenching nervously. "How in the world did she do that?"

Neji clenched his jaw nervously as he observed the cool kunoichi in the white taichi top roll her neck with her shoulder. "With terrific aim and patience. She waited for her opponent to take a big swing at her, which then gave her the opportunity to nail her square in the chest through a completely open guard." His eyes, which had the Byakugan activated as well, narrowed harshly. "That Temari girl was finished the moment she lost her cool."

Over in the other observation box, Kankuro was livid.

"This is ridiculous! What the hell is up with this girl?!" the kid in the black uniform and face paint shouted in outrage. "She's too strong to be a Genin!"

Gaara narrowed his eyes thoughtfully on the female in question. "She's unquestionably vicious. That much is obvious." Her speed, strength and techniques combined with her incredible sense of timing and savagery… they were a fearsome combination. Even the boy with the gourd and reddish-brown hair felt a small amount of alarm shoot through him at what he was observing, despite his incredibly stoic and unflappable disposition.

Finding the situation growing increasingly disquieting, the Suna Genin's team leader Baki looked across at the _Kirigakure_ group and frowned when he saw the smile framed on Mei Terumi's face. "Your team member's combat strength and skill is exceptionally refined. Even I'm having some difficulty following her actions in such a confined area."

The brown haired woman glanced back at the man happily. "Why, thank you. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

"I think what our friend from _Sunagakure_ is trying to say is that your student is _way_ too good to be a Genin," Mabui spoke up next, while at the same time giving the woman the stink eye from where she was standing alongside the Konoha troop. By this point, almost everyone in the viewing gallery had now shifted their attention toward the squad from the hidden mist, all of whom were appearing remarkably calm in the face of what was now transpiring. "Children gaining strength of this caliber in this day and age is extremely rare, even amongst the most disciplined of shinobi villages. This is especially considering how young she is."

"She's also got a very nasty streak about her character as well… something that is seldom seen in a kid so young," Kakashi pointed out, having also observed the girl's personality shift gears from calm and collected, to something very dark and masochistic in nature in the span of only a couple of minutes. This all happened right around the time she got clobbered in the face by Temari during their brief exchange of fists and only seemed to intensify after Sasuke assaulted her with that barrage of hits.

"To top that off, she also claims to be the second strongest Genin on your team," Dana also chimed in from the side, her expression steeling when she saw her fellow kunoichi looking back at her. "Just what kind of training did you put her through to make her like this exactly?"

Mei, after looking between the four other groups now glaring suspiciously in her direction, allowed a quiet sigh to leave her before she turned her attention back to the arena below. When her eyes landed on Ryofu, the female Jonin began to speak again. "To tell you the truth… I didn't train her much at all. The only things I did teach her, were the formations that our team would use out on the field, some attack drills… as well as a few helpful hints to improve the group's communication and dynamic. Other than that… everything she's learnt up until this point has been completely self-taught."

Baki and several other the children present recoiled at that news. "What?"

"How is that possible?" Samui asked, also at a bit of a loss as to how this girl was so talented.

"You've probably already noticed by now that her body and fighting style aren't what you'd consider _normal_. Nor is it something you'd find in an ordinary, cookie-cutter shinobi," Mei informed, gesturing down to the girl and bringing everyone's attention back to the skills that she'd just demonstrated. "The reason for that is because she wasn't trained to fight like a ninja. She was trained to fight like a _warrior_. A soldier. A cold-blooded combatant who charges head first into battle and destroys the enemy with raw strength, blinding technique, and overwhelming martial arts skill. And the real kicker behind all of this is that she doesn't use jutsu or chakra like we ninja do… but an entirely different and foreign discipline altogether." She then glanced back at the groups and beamed. "When I first met her at the academy, I learned from her teachers that Ryofu had come to them from a temple on one of the country's many isles, which had been inhabited by monks from the country of _**Tianchao**_. Apparently they'd been attacked by a band of pirates that'd been sailing from town to town on a raid of the region. After a long and bloody skirmish, she emerged from the battle as its only survivor. It was after I saw her in action for the first time that I knew I'd discovered someone truly special… and endeavored to make her a part of my team."

"All of our Genin are special. That's the reason why we picked them to be part of our groups and saw fit to raise them as our own in the first place," Mabui informed, while at the same time placing her hands on her hips in a show of confidence. "Aside from the obvious, what makes your girl so different from everybody else?"

Mei smiled as a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "The most recent Genin Exams we conducted were redesigned from the ones we practiced back in the old days- when the Hidden Mist was once called the _Bloody Mist_ , and the students being trained at the academy were pitted against one another in death matches as part of their development. We directed several trials to ascertain which among our generation were ready to become shinobi, with the practical exam setting each Genin against the school's Chunin instructors in a series of prearranged duels to assess the quality of each individual combatant." Her grin only seemed to widen after this. "When Ryofu went in for her run… she defeated ten Chunin at once with her bare hands, all without receiving a single scratch."

Karui recoiled, "Ten at once?" Her shocked expression was exactly the same as worn by everybody else there.

"That's insane!" Sakura shouted, not knowing what to think of this. "None of us would be able to do that… not even at our best."

"I couldn't believe it myself. Which was why I insisted that I took the young girl under my wing and put her to work on _my_ squad," Mei informed, while at the same time pointing to the other two standing in front of her. When Utakata and Mae looked up at the kids beside them, they all showed the faces of individuals who meant business. "Each of my students are a product of a land that has been ravaged by war and hatred. Every one of us grew up surrounded by death and raised by conflict in some way, shape or form. Thanks to that, these children have each experienced the worst this world's had to offer, and have all emerged stronger because of it. That's why- right now- all three of these kids are about as strong and capable as I am… a Jonin who has also fought in our village's civil war." When she saw the disbelief reflected on the faces the woman grinned. "The people of our community view these three as the saviors of _Kirigakure_ … the _Generation of Miracles_ that will bring new life and revolution back into our village, and lead us into a new age. But there is another nickname the three of them earned for their display of strength and skill… one that all of their peers respect and fear above all others…"

At this, cold and menacing looks appeared in the two Genins' eyes as they glared back at Naruto and the others. The result had all the kids' present tremble, especially when Utakata allowed a rather malicious grin to tug at his lips.

" _ **The Three Monsters of Kirigakure**_ ," the boy said, without pause or hesitation. "That is the name of our squad."

OOO

Deciding to leave Temari where she was frozen, helpless and unable to defend herself, Ryofu tilted her head and smiled, only for her body to suddenly transform into a shimmer and dart away. The instant she did this, a string of explosions detonated around her position, blasting a crater into the floor and sending a shower of rubble dropping around the arena.

Kari, who had thrown that attack from a distance, balked in surprise. "Huh? Where did she-OOF!" the boy was unable to finish his startled question when all the wind in his lungs suddenly went 'fuck you' and left, as he was promptly elbowed square in the stomach by Ryofu driving her limb right into his gut. The loud crunch was followed immediately by the Iwa kid's body being lifted off the floor and sent flying over the colosseum battleground to smash into one of the trees standing at the edge of it.

When his back crashed into it, the dazed Kari bounced off of it and dropped to the floor with a dull thump. A low groan then left his lips as his hands shakily clenched at the earth and his toes twitched from the numbness that set in afterwards.

"Ow," he gasped, spitting out the saliva that'd pooled in his throat from the savage hit.

Ryofu, rising up from her high speed attack, grinned broadly at the fallen kid. "Your meat still needs tenderizing. You wait right there and simmer for a little while longer."

"T-Take your time…" Kari groaned, unable to feel his legs due to having his entire body suffer an immediate shutdown from the well-placed hit. "No hurry here." All he needed to do was move his heart from his throat back into his chest cavity and he would be good to go… hopefully.

With the powerhouse taken care of, Ryofu then turned her attention to last Genin that was still able to stand without support. This turned out to be the young man from _Kumogakure_ \- Omoi- who'd moved away from where Sasuke had been standing to confront the _Kirigakure_ girl directly. Pacing around the area with his eyes and sword pointed towards her, the blonde youngster narrowed his eyes when he saw the silver haired girl leer at him, while simultaneously turning calmly to face him.

After walking around a few more feet, the sword user stopped and ground his foot into the sand. At the same time Ryofu slid into the same Mantis stance she'd taken before, only this time she moved both her hands together, with one placed behind the other. Her grin remained in full force while Omoi brought his sword up and assumed a two-handed grip, with the noticeably sweating youngster pulling it back in preparation for an engagement.

With the pair squaring off dead center of the ring, with a wounded Sasuke watching from the sidelines and Temari still paralyzed and struggling to breathe, both Genin from Kumo and Kiri glared one another down with varying levels of confidence. When one shifted forward, the other shuffled back- accentuated by Ryofu mockingly waving her hands around and swapping hand positions of her Mantis stance.

Clearly her bravery was the highest.

Then, after several seconds of tense staring, one of them finally made a move.

Omoi dashed forward, drawing his sword back before, with masterful, razor sharp movements, began slashing out at the girl from multiple direction. As before, the silver-haired kunoichi side-stepped and dodged every swing the youngster attempted, doing so with a calm disposition and her confident smile in play. She lean away whenever Omoi's blade came close and backpedaled when he advanced. But even when the boy used every technique and move in his arsenal to try and hit her, the girl simply stayed ahead of his weapon, just enough to make her dodging seem like taunts towards his ability.

Clenching his jaw when he saw the girl leap back to avoid an upward slash from his blade, Omoi readjusted his grip and lunged forward, before throwing a reverse slash straight towards her neck. Just when it seemed like he was going to catch her, Ryofu's hand suddenly flew up and caught the weapon with her bare hand. The instant her grip snapped around it, the katana's blade shattered beneath her fingers and was effectively snapped in half.

The sight not only had the entire audience audibly gasp, but it had Omoi and an observing Sasuke gape in disbelief.

The instant the boy saw his sword snap, he then attempted to follow up his slash with vicious backhand. His blow was effectively stopped by Ryofu parrying it, before giving a swift chop to the side of his neck, in which she buried her ring and index finger into the collar. A sickening _**crunch**_ then echoed out as Omoi's head dropped to the side, his eyes widening as all feeling in his body below his chest disappeared.

A split second later, the frozen boy buckled from the jab to his pressure point, which led to him collapsing straight to the floor and onto his side, like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

With the _Kumogakure_ Genin down, Ryofu took a deep breath and stepped away from him, before slowly turning her gaze towards the arena. Taking in the stricken Genin scattered all about her, the taijutsu proficient female slowly raised both her arms and groaned in a very sultry manner. "Is that it? Is that _all_ any of you can give me?" she asked out loud, her golden eyes glancing across at Sasuke to see the wounded boy bring his kunai up shakily and snarl at her. She then smiled in a sickly manner as she cast her gaze over him, "Damn. And I was just getting warmed up. Oh well." Cracking her neck with a quick stretch, she then hunched forward momentarily before, with a murderous gleam in her eye, looked towards the far wall. "Now that all my cooking is done… I think it's about time I feasted. And I believe I'll start…" A split second later, the girl's eyes snapped towards Temari and, with a wolfish grin flashing into view, flew right at the stricken girl at full speed, "WITH _**YOU**_!"

Seeing the kunoichi cock back her fist and prepare to drive it into her, all the frozen girl could do was let out a startled gasp and shut her eyes, as every single part of her body refused to move. She braced herself and waited for the inevitable flash of pain and descent into blackness.

Ryofu's laugh echoed out as she closed in on her target. The keenly observing Hayate, noticing Temari was in no condition to move or block, quickly leapt forward to stop the fight. But just before either party could reach the person they were aiming for, the entire colosseum was once again stunned into silence when a deafening _**crack**_ suddenly reverberated off of every single wall.

Blood flew from Ryofu's mouth when she received the mother of all kicks across the face, which not only knocked her flying to the side, but also caused her body to spiral through the air. Her vision turning white for a split second, the dazed girl was unable to do anything as her body was sent crashing haplessly into the floor, where she slid along for several feet before quickly springing off her hand and landing on both her feet and one hand.

Her limbs dug into the ground as she hit the brakes. The moment she stopped, Ryofu removed her hand from her face to reveal a bruised cheek and blood dribbling from her nose. She then looked up with a start. "What?!"

When she looked up, she and the rest of the still conscious Genin in the arena saw the blond, spiky-haired youngster in the blue and white winter jacket- Naruto Uzumaki of Team 7- standing in front of Temari and glaring back at the kunoichi from _Kirigakure_. Hayate also stopped when he saw the youngster appear from out of nowhere, the surprise of which caused him to pause for a moment.

OOO

This gave enough time for the rest of the audience to come around, in which everyone found themselves clamoring in confusion and surprise at seeing the newcomer appear on the field. The Rookie 12 however quickly felt a wash of relief spread through each and every one of them, with Tayuya mustering a big grin and punching her fist in the air.

"Yes! Shithead!" she exclaimed happily, an expression that earned her a couple of odd glances from her compatriots- particularly Neji.

"Who's that? One of the other Genin from the teams selected?" the brown haired youngster from the branch family of Hyuuga Clan asked.

Hinata, hearing her cousin speak up, looked across at him with a big smile. "That would be Naruto-kun: one of the other top four graduates from our year level and our close friend." When she saw the youngster glare back at her, the kunoichi turned back to the field to see that the youngster was by himself and standing off against the stunned Kiri Genin, who had just now stood up from her kneeling position. "It seems that he's jumped in to tag Sasuke-kun out."

Rock Lee, eyes shimmering in amazement, then gave his own comment, "Wow! That was an incredible entrance! And what a marvelous kick!" He clenched a fist in front of him excitedly. "The timing, speed, and power behind it was perfect!"

Tenten chuckled as she looked across at her teammate from where she was standing, "I can tell right now that you and Goldie down there are going to hit it off really well." She could see it as clear as day. Not only were both of them hardcore hand to hand practitioners, but their methods and personalities were very similar. Though she wasn't a hundred percent sure that the delinquent youngster would be able to stand up to Lee's sheer, overpowering exuberance.

While everyone in the lower stands made their assessments, up in the Hokage's high seat, a couple of the ambassadors had leaned forward in their seats when they saw the new kid jump onto the scene. After making one hell of an impression by swiftly kicking the silver-haired kunoichi away, he was now squaring off against said girl before the entire audience. Though this was something neither of them had expected to happen, it still presented a rather interesting opportunity.

"Is that… the blond youngster of Konoha's Team 7?" the female envoy from _Sunagakure_ asked, while at the same time gazing over the side. "Naruto was it?"

"Huh. I didn't even see him move to get down there. Must have jumped straight from the stands," the dark-skinned diplomat from _Kumogakure_ remarked. A grin forming on his face, he then crossed his arms and leant back in his seat expectantly. "Hmm… this ought to be interesting."

The emissary from _Iwagakure_ \- a man with a goatee, a wide-brimmed hat and an old shinobi uniform- looked across at his fellow ambassador in confusion. "You don't want to put an end to the fight?" After seeing the girl from the hidden mist pretty much cut down all of the other contestants in a very vicious and one-sided manner, all of the delegates present in the stadium thought that the battle was practically over. Clearly there had been an unfair advantage shunted in _Kirigakure's_ direction, with the ambassador from the village in question appearing quite smug at his squad's performance thus far.

However, the moment Konoha's second Genin jumped in, it felt as though the tides had suddenly shifted.

The delegate from _Kumogakure_ shook his head when he heard the other delegate's query. "Not just yet. I want to see what this kid can do." After all, that kick had quite a bit of volume behind it. Even when sitting so high above the arena, every single one had felt the impact in their bones. The man with back hair smiled across at the middle-aged ambassador from Kiri. "Any objections?"

The governor with the beard shook his head while his arms remained folded in front of him seiza style. "None here."

After checking with the other delegates to see the _Sunagakure_ diplomat smile and the representative from _Iwagakure_ begrudgingly fall back in his seat with his arms crossed, the _Kumogakure_ male looked back at Mikoto and nodded to her affirmatively. The Uchiha Kage smiled back and waved down to Hayate, who had turned towards the viewing balcony for further instruction. Once he'd confirmed from the village leader to keep the match going, the Chunin stepped back and allowed the two kids to take it from there.

OOO

Naruto meanwhile, upon seeing his opponent rise up from her crippled state, promptly removed the jacket he was wearing to reveal the tight, long-sleeved black shirt he was wearing underneath. After tossing it to the side and shedding the weight, he then glanced back at the still frozen Temari, who he could see was looking at him in a state of shock.

Without a word, Naruto then reached back and- without hesitation- placed a hand against her chest. The act of which not only surprised the members of the Rookie 12 and drew rather embarrassed reactions from Sakura, Tayuya and Hinata, but it also had the _Sunagakure_ kunoichi's face light up bright red when she felt the youngster's ribs shift over her bosom.

"W-What… the fuck… are you touching…?" the girl gasped in a raspy voice, as the blond kid from the hidden leaf shamelessly and seemingly groped her in front of everybody. However, a couple seconds later, she suddenly felt the boy's hand rest over the direct center of the chest. After a couple of probes from his fingers, he then gently rammed his knuckles into the spot over her solar plexus twice. The instant he jabbed three fingers over two separate pressure points, Temari felt life instantly return to her body, inhaling loudly as she collapsed to the floor.

Taking in deep gulps of air, the girl in the pink top took a long moment to savor the ability to breathe again, before exhaustedly looking up at the boy. Seeing he was still facing off against the hidden mist Genin with his back turned to her, Temari stared at him in momentary awe. Once she'd finally gotten enough oxygen back into her system, the wounded girl sighed before speaking quietly.

"Th-Thank you," she stuttered.

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied without even looking back, as he knew the kunoichi was grateful enough to finally be able to move and breathe again. After hearing her words of appreciation, the blond from Konoha then stepped to the side and began to march across the arena floor- at the same time keeping his gaze firmly trained on the girl from _Kirigakure_.

Seeing Naruto squaring off against his teammate nearly prompted Utakata to step forward and take action. However, when he felt a hand lay across his chest and looked across at his teammate Mae, he saw the spear-user smile and shake her head- clearly indicating to her friend that she wanted to see this as well. This in turn caused the tall boy to step down, with everyone in that viewing section proceeding to watch the newest challenger face-off against the martial artist from the hidden mist.

Tama- who had jumped off of Naruto's shoulder the instant he dove over the side- now sat perched on the railing with the boy's scarf _Aijo_. The other squads standing alongside them also remained, watching carefully to see what would happen.

It wasn't everyday they got to witness an irregularity like this.

A strong tension lingered over the entire stadium as every person there watched as Naruto paced around Ryofu, the latter of whom was now glaring at him with wide, dilated golden eyes. The hands on both Genin clenched and cracked, giving indication that the two were mentally preparing themselves for their clash.

Eventually, after walking for a couple more steps, the delinquent from Konoha stopped. When his fingers curled into fists, the muscles of his upper body visibly swelled ever so slightly, which told the watching Ryofu that he was preparing to attack. The sight had her own body unconsciously stiffen, with the muscles tensing out of reflex to coincide with the blonde's subtle show of aggression. It was clear that out of the other participants that the youngster with the whiskers meant business.

As to exactly how much more, the silver-haired kunoichi didn't know.

That answer came to her a split second later when, in a burst of wind, Naruto's entire body vanished in a shimmer, leaving nothing but a ring of dust hanging in the air. The sight had Ryofu's eyes widen in disbelief, with the kunoichi quickly setting herself into her Mantis fighting stance as veins pulsed into view along her forehead, neck, and on the backs of her hands.

" _Fuck! He's fast!_ _ **Sixty percent**_ _!"_ the girl thought as she bumped up her base power level another step. The second she did, she then performed a sudden spin and swung her leg out to the space next to her.

A loud thunderclap then rang out when both Naruto's and Ryofu's shins collided in the center, with the force generated from their clashing roundhouse kicks creating a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them and sent a blast of wind across the entire arena. The Genin watching from the sidelines- Omoi, Sasuke, Temari and Kari- all gaped when they felt the tremor of the pair's impacting blows reverberate through them.

The instant their kicks landed, both foes glared heatedly at one another, before Ryofu swung her leg back around, drove it into the floor, and then threw a spinning back kick up at her foe with the other foot. Her leg slammed into Naruto's guard when he moved his arm up to block, with the force of the attack sending him skidding across the floor for a couple of feet. When he stopped a split second after catching the blow, the whiskered blond grunted and spun on the spot, before delivering another crushing spin kick into Ryofu's midsection, who was barely able to check it with her knee.

This attack also sent the silver-haired kunoichi sliding back a couple of feet, a grunt leaving her well when she managed to stop herself. Upon which her right leg swung upwards in a wide arc, stopped above her head, before she swung it down at the boy in a downward blow. _**"Futou Ti!"**_ (Axe Kick)

Naruto side-stepped in time to dodge it, watching as her heel slammed into the floor with such force that the impact caused the entire floor to drop beneath them- as a crater that was fifteen feet wide was smashed into the ground. With the earth also fracturing around them and causing the surface to become uneven, the blond delinquent ignored it by leaping straight into the air, performing an acrobatic spin, before delivering a jumping spin kick towards Ryofu's head.

" _ **Kūken: Chiesa!"**_ (Void Fist: Chaser) the youngster shouted as his leg cut through the air with a loud whoosh.

The Kiri kunoichi saw the attack swinging right at her, which prompted her to duck to avoid as it sailed over her at a terrific speed. Upon which she drove a hand into the floor and shot a kick in retaliation straight up at the airborne delinquent. Spotting the counter, Naruto swung his hand out and smacked the kick out of the way, allowing him to drop safely out of the air outside of the crater the girl had formed.

When both combatants turned to face each other once more, they both then leapt forward with fists drawn back and their eyes blazing intensely. The moment they came within range, their bodies blurred out of focus as they began lashing out at one another with a barrage of lightning fast punches and kicks. From every angle and every position they could take in their stances- whether it was through dodging, squatting, swaying, or striking- the pair attacked, parried and countered at blinding speed. The sound of rushing wind and loud thumps echoed through the air, with the pair's exchange causing a cloud of dust to kick up around them.

Seeing the duo attacking one another with such fury and speed that they pretty turned into two indiscernible blurs caused an observing Omoi on the floor to shake his head. "Whoa."

" _They're so fast,"_ Sasuke also thought, his Sharingan activated just to keep the pair in sight. A blast of wind emanating off of the duo caused him to flinch, as the area was once again pelted by tiny bits of debris being sent flying off the ground in every direction. _"And strong."_

Just the mere impact of their attacks was causing shockwaves to ripple out and shake their surroundings.

After a brisk exchange of blows, the two kids then both went in with a straight from their left and right respectively. The result was their arms crossing and their fists slamming into each other's faces at the exact same time, causing the pair of Genin to lurch back from the force. Another loud bang then followed that cracked the floor beneath them, with the resulting sonic boom sending both Naruto and Ryofu skidding away from one another for several meters. When they eventually stopped in a cloud of hot dust, both of them were still set in their respective fighting stances.

With his left fist extended and right pulled back in a hybrid Muay Boran-like stance, Naruto allowed an excited grin to cross his face. _"This girl… she's fantastic."_ The look that flashed through his eyes as well was one of primal excitement and joy, as this was the first time in a long time that the blond had come across someone who was able to exchange punches with him equally without crumpling after the first shot.

Her speed, durability, striking strength, and power… they were all top class.

"Nice moves," Naruto remarked while baring his fangs at the girl.

Ryofu as well, after receiving that blow to the face that left a noticeably bruise on her cheek, allowed a stiff chuckle to leave her lips before she looked back at the boy with the same monstrous gleam she had the others. However, due to the fact that the Konoha Genin also had a similar visage of hunger and delight slapped across his mug, he wasn't intimidated in the least. In fact, both of them looked exactly the same as each other.

"Yes… YES! Finally! An opponent who has the exact same power and skill as I do!" Ryofu laughed, quickly swinging her arms about and forming the curled Mantis fists as she did before. Her arms swinging about and legs widening to that of the insect's signature posture, the kunoichi allowed a low hiss to escape her sneering lips as she fixated both her golden eyes upon her opponent- who also widened his own stance. "Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!"

With a loud grunt from both fighters, the pair lunged at each other and once again lashed out. Their fists crossed again in an elaborate and impressive display of martial skill, in which both began trading blows while simultaneously parrying each other. Thumps rang out as the duo exchanged a few shots, with Ryofu using much more of her mantis-like movements and postures to awkwardly deflected Naruto's shots.

After he attempted to elbows her and throw a knee, which she effectively blocked with a quick strike to his thigh, he then attempted a swinging backhand at her head. When she swayed around it, he then followed up with a hook, only to end up getting his arm trapped between hers- with the girl driving her mantis hook right into the joint of his elbow.

A dull crack then rang out, followed by a second and louder one when Ryofu struck at Naruto's extended arm with the side of her elbow. The blow caused the delinquent to give a yelp of pain as his arm was bent in a direction it shouldn't have gone. After which he then yanked it back to a normal position and spun away. Retreating, the boy leapt into the air and threw a spinning back kick that her pursuing foe timely ducked. After which she then lunged at him low with two mantis punches that he blocked and checked, before she unleashed a barrage of lightning fast mantis punches and finger strikes at him.

With his left arm numb and non-functioning, Naruto struggled to block all of her speedy blows with his right hand, which resulted in him getting kicked in the chest and sent toppling to the ground.

The Rookie 12 watching from the stands all gasped when they saw the blond crash to the floor hard, before expertly rolling back and throwing himself onto his feet. When he skidded to a stop, the youngster's left arm then dangled uselessly at his side, with a bit of blood also trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

Ryofu meanwhile smirked broadly as straightened up from her stance- clearly satisfied with being able to deliver some solid damage to her foe. From her and everybody else's point of view, she once again had the edge in battle.

" _I knocked his elbow and rotator cuff out of alignment,"_ the kunoichi thought as she watched Naruto take a few deep breaths as he stood there, clutching his dead left arm with his right as he began looking down at it and testing his fingers. From the way it looked, having his pressure points in his arm struck so violently had left him in a very crooked position. _"Now he won't be able to use his left arm against me. He's done."_

It looked as though it was once again over. But then, just as Ryofu was waiting for her opponent to make some kind of gutsy declaration or statement of defiance, she suddenly watched as he wordlessly grabbed his elbow joint with his right hand before ramming his knuckles into it twice. After a couple of firm jabs with his free right, he then gripped the muscles of his left forearm with his thumb, index and middle fingers, and gave a hard twist, causing a series of loud, boney snaps to ring out. He then reversed the twist with a second snap, before running his finger along the center of his limb, grabbed his wrist, and gave his left arm a hard yank, which popped his joint back into place.

The audience watched in morbid curiosity and amazement as Naruto reset his own arm, something that even Jonin found quite startling. As a similarly stumped Ryofu watched her foe stretch and flex his left arm out a couple of times, she and the rest of the audience saw the boy close his eyes, take a deep breath, before suddenly waving his arms across his chest, around through the air, before dropping into a low fighting stance.

The pose he assumed baffled everybody.

Not only had he lowered himself to the floor in a similar manner to his foe's fighting style, but he'd also extended his index and middle fingers, curled the remaining ones, and pressed his thumbs up against his hands. Drawing the right closer to him while his left was extended just a little bit further, the youngster assumed a martial arts stance that was exactly the same as Ryofu's, which was that of a Praying Mantis.

As he stood there, bobbing about on his legs with his arms set in the Mantis guard, the kunoichi and his audience felt their jaws drop.

"Did… he just…?" Shikamaru asked out loud in disbelief.

Tayuya, knowing exactly what she was looking at, grinned in excitement when she saw the pose her roommate had taken on, "He copied Ryofu's fighting style."

"How? She's only been using it for a couple of minutes," Kurumi stated. Though she knew the boy was talented in his own right, there was no way he could've picked up someone's movements and fighting techniques so easily.

"It's a little trick he's picked up over the past year… and he's gotten much better at using it," Tayuya stated, deciding to break it down for all those who were observing at the moment. "Because he's been practicing taijutsu religiously every single day of his life, he's developed the ability to record another person's movements, postures and timing, and add it to his. At first it was just simple moves and techniques, like a special punch, a grappling technique, or a series of small movements. But now that he has become so adept at taijutsu, he only needs to see someone's hand-to-hand fighting once, and then he'll be able to mirror it exactly." In a way, even she was a little bit amazed by this. To be able to integrate an entire fighting style into his own movement patterns after only glimpsing it was an astonishing skill.

Only people with the Sharingan had that kind of level of copying ability. However, if they didn't have the proper body strength, flexibility, endurance, dexterity, subtleness, core strength, or if the style required a completely different flow of chakra or chakra type or possessed an offbeat rhythm to pull off, then even someone with a dōjutsu wouldn't be able to use it. Fortunately for Naruto, because his body had been trained in every facet of athleticism and martial arts, he could use all of it at a moment's notice.

Upon hearing this, Rock Lee was practically glowing with amazement, much like his teacher. Even Neji appeared visibly impressed by this.

As for the _Kirigakure_ kunoichi however, she was beside herself.

" _Are… you serious?"_ Ryofu thought, eyes almost bugging out in disbelief as she saw the boy standing there in her fighting style. _"He's going to try and take me on… using_ _ **my**_ _martial arts!"_ Gritting her teeth and snarling, the girl then leant forward and charged right at him, her take-off causing a loud bang that kicked a cloud of dust into the air. "GRAAAAGH!" She then spun on her forward step, performing a spinning, reverse overhead kick aimed towards the boy's head.

Deflecting her foot with his arm and the spinning backhand that followed, Naruto then proceeded to deflect and parry several more mantis jabs and finger strikes aimed towards his body. As he danced around her, using the same poses and lunges that she did with her blocks and guards, he managed to deflect a mantis hook and an uppercut, before throwing a mantis hook towards her neck. Telegraphing his attack, the girl stepped back and threw one as well, their hooks slamming into each other and locking both of them in a mantis arm lock.

Dropping low, both Naruto and Ryofu pushed against each other, their wrists and fingers curled into the insect's signature grip as they both glared across at one another. Their sandals dug into the ground, causing the ground to crack as they pulled against one another with an insane amount of force.

After a tense face off, Ryofu, growing incredibly irked, swung her other hand around and knocked Naruto's arm away, before taking another swift hook towards his neck, which he deflected. Upon parrying her hit, the blonde swung out with a diagonal chop towards her chest, which the girl quickly back-stepped to avoid. When she was about to retaliate, the girl was forced to cross both arms over when the blonde's foot snapped up towards her face in a front kick. The blow crashed into her with brute force, causing her to skid back slightly as a small shockwave rang out.

Once she'd absorbed the force, the kunoichi swung her arms out, throwing the boy into the air and sending him back-flipping across the arena.

Sasuke and everyone else watched the blond soar thirty feet through the air, before eventually landing feet first against the wall of the arena three stories above the ground. The moment he touched down, he swung his arms out in front and behind, the hands still poised in the mantis grip. When he looked up, he smirked down at his opponent, whom he saw sprint forward before leaping straight towards him.

Her form shot through the air like a bullet, forcing him to hop across the wall to avoid her knee from burying him into the concrete. The moment she struck the wall, she smashed a divot into its side, cracking it down the center, before she sprang up and went after him with a renewed barrage of finger strikes and jabs. Both opponents traded and exchanged blows, each attacking and defending in a manner reminiscent of the predatory insects locked in an epic battle to the death- only on a much larger scale and a much greater speed.

The audience watching from the stands could only look on with baited breath as Naruto and Ryofu danced around one another in a flurry of movements, striking one at each other and attempting to disable the other's ability to attack and defend. Considering how strong their blows were and how high they were currently suspended above the ground- as they were quite literally fighting while walking along the wall- any mistake they made could cost either of them dearly.

After parrying another series of vicious hits, Naruto then retaliated with a punch, only to get kicked off of the wall by Ryofu swaying back and striking him at the exact same time. The moment he was thrown into the air, the silver haired girl sprang off of the wall and got right behind him, her pose mirroring his exactly.

Gai, who was watching from down below, recoiled in surprise, "Hey! That's the-"

" _ **Kage Buyo**_!" (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf) Rock Lee finished, his own eyes showcasing his amazement as he saw the kunoichi float directly behind Naruto's back as he was suspended in the air. Knowing this technique and exactly what it lead into, the youngster in the bowl cut gasped and leant forward. "Oh no! That means she's going to-"

Ryofu, a dangerous look appearing in her eyes, then prepared to grab the boy and put him into a downward spin. Her adversary however had other plans. Spotting her movement out of the corner of his eye, Naruto then suddenly threw himself into an aerial roll, kicked the girl's hands away- effectively stopping her from grabbing him- before driving a kick down into her face. In direct retaliation, the kunoichi caught his leg before he could make contact and pulled both of them into a controlled power fall, with Naruto getting in close and locking onto her body with his arms. Both Genin then leered at each other as they plummeted towards the floor, spinning around one another so fast that their forms blurred together in a black and white corkscrew of twisting wind.

Dropping like a missile, the pair drove each other straight into the floor of the stadium with a thunderous bang, which punched a crater into the ground and sent rubble hurtling everywhere. The cloud of debris that also shot into the air also sent two bodies flying out of its center in completely opposite directions- Naruto bouncing across the ground before colliding with a tree on the edge of the ring and Ryofu rag-dolling over the battle zone before slamming into the concrete wall of the arena. Both impacted at approximately the same time, and both fighters managed to punch human-sized divots into the surfaces they embedded.

While the audience thought for sure that when the dust settled both kids would be out cold, when the Genin and Jonin looked towards the holes formed by the two youngsters, they unexpectedly heard the sounds of laughter echoing out. Looking at both Naruto and Ryofu, the former of whom had managed to uproot the tree he'd slammed into and was lying on top of it and the latter hanging upside down in her crater, everyone could see similarly wide grins on both their faces as their bodies shook with giggles and hollers.

"Kami… this is incredible…" Naruto exclaimed, allowing his shout to echo across the stadium while the other Genin gaped at him from their locations on the field. With Omoi slowly getting feeling back into his body and beginning to sit up, and Kari already on his feet as well, they could now hear and see everything that was going on. "Hahaha! I can't believe this! This is… this is _SO_ much fun, dattebayo!"

Hearing his teammate laughing so raucously had the observing Sasuke gape in disbelief. "He's… completely nuts…" No. He wasn't just nuts. He was bat-shit _insane_. Though the Uchiha was already aware of Naruto's sporadic and unpredictable personality, being his teammate and everything, this was really the first time he was actually seeing the delinquent's true nature in action.

After all, he just watched the kid survive a hundred foot nose dive from the air at near terminal velocity, which resulted in both him and his opponent collide head-on with the earth, before being thrown into another surface fifty feet away- while hitting every single lump and rock in the floor in the process. And yet there he was, laughing his ass off as if he'd just gotten off of a ride at a theme park.

It was almost surreal.

Ryofu, also laughing at the top of her legs, felt bits of granite from the wall tumble off of her as she hung there, sprawled out in her own personal crater. "Yes! YES! HAHAHA! What a rush! What a high! This feeling! This pounding in my head! This pain! It feels so good! SO GOOD! HEH-HA! This is exactly the sensation that I've been searching for!" Feeling completely and utterly energized, Ryofu violently yanked herself out of the concrete, flipped forward, and dropped to her feet, before then spinning around to face her opponent. A lustful grin returned to her face when she saw Naruto hop off of the tree he'd crashed into, all the while brushing splinters off of his shirt. "I want more. Give me more! I want to feel it! ALL OF IT!"

Mirroring the girl's excitement, Naruto huffed enthusiastically as he marched towards her. "Heh-heh. You want me to show you _more_? Huh?"

"Yeah! You bet I do!" Ryofu exclaimed, her face showing killing intent and her voice dripping with delight. "Only Utakata-kun in his First Stage Biju mode and Mae-chan in her full cowling has ever pushed me past fifty percent of my base strength before! They're the only ones strong enough in my village who can. But both of them are my friends… so we can never risk going all out against each other in a real fight. _**You**_ on the other hand…" The girl sneered eagerly, "You're not like them. Not a friend… not an ally… nor a man ruled by the rules and conventions of society. You're not a shinobi who fights for higher causes, ideals, or a nation. You don't care about any of that stuff. You fight to beat a person because they're _strong_." She then reached up and tapped the side of her head. "I can see it in your eyes. You crave challenge… someone who can push you beyond your limits… and give you a reason to exist!" Ryofu's eyes flashed when she stopped moving. "You're exactly like me!"

Naruto smirked, tilting his head at the girl as his blue eyes bore into her golden ones from several meters away. "Oh. Is it that obvious?" the boy asked, before chuckling again. "To be honest, fighting for status and prestige has always been an inside goal of mine. But ever since my first fight on the streets- after I flattened my first group of bullies with my bare hands- I realized that fighting wasn't just a way for me to decide my place in this world. I saw it as a way to cut loose… to let my body run wild… and to get my blood pumping." Obviously he was recalling the time he saved Hinata from those bullies back in that alleyway. Looking back on it… the victory he achieved on that day had been one of the sweetest moments in his young life, as well as a turning point for him. The kid's teeth bared as he clenched his fists tightly, all the while a fire lit up in his eyes that matched the pounding in his chest. "I saw that fighting was _**fun**_ … and overcoming people stronger than me… THAT was the _best_ feeling of all!"

"Yes! Yeees! YEEEES!" Ryofu cried out, her breathing growing rapid as her cheeks heated up red. Hands lifting to cup one of her said cheeks while the other wrapped around her waist in a sensual manner, the girl allowed a hot gasp to escape her as she grinned across at the boy. "That's it! That's exactly why _**I**_ fight too!" She then bit on the edge of her finger, a look of passionate hunger appearing on her face as she glared at the boy smirking back at her. "Oh, Kami. You're incredible. Oooh. Just imagining you hitting me with all your strength… feeling your knuckles pound against my flesh and muscles… and to be utterly ravaged by a beast just like me… it makes me feel so hot!" Her grin widening all the more when she felt everyone in the audience tremble at her disturbing attitude, Ryofu gave one last grin before bringing her left foot up and slamming it into the floor behind her. When the earth fractured beneath her step and her calf bulged, the kunoichi then drew her hands back into her Mantis stance.

What followed from there came a very strange sight. Naruto and everybody noticed steam starting to rise off of the girl's body and waft in the air around her. This anomaly seemed to coincide with her slight increase in muscle tension, in which veins started to pulse in various visible places on her skin- most prominent in her neck and on her temples. To accompany the heat lifting off of her form, the ground around her also started to cook slightly from her presence.

The kunoichi growled impatiently through bared teeth, "Come on! Let's get wild together! _**Seventy five percent**_!" The instant she shouted this and saw Naruto raise his fists and take a new stance of his own, the silver haired girl with steam billowing from her suddenly vanished in a rush of wind.

Naruto's blue eyes widened considerably- his brow tightening with veins as he quickly tracked his foe's movements. This led his head snapping to his left when he picked up his opponent's trail. _"She's gotten faster… MUCH faster!"_ Pumping chakra into his legs, the boy sprang back as hard and as fast as he could.

Just in time too, because the second he moved, Ryofu reappeared directly alongside him, slicing down at his head with a downward chop of her arm. "TSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIII!" the kunoichi shouted, her hand slamming into the ground with such force that she not only cratered the earth beneath her, but the fissure she created from splitting the earth not only reached both ends of the arena- it cut the entire stadium in half.

The Rookie 12, who were standing in the path of the fracture that shot up the concrete of the structure, literally jumped out of the way in shock as they watched the entire building get cut in two. Everyone, from the Jonin to the delegates watching from up high, gaped in disbelief when they felt the building and the ground literally separate a total of free feet, as the hundreds of tons of weight was separated by the sheer force of the girl's attack.

Grinning broadly as she yanked her smoking hand out of the floor after bisecting the entire block with her chop, Ryofu's eyes shot to the side to see her blond opponent leaping back to a safe distance. This compelled her to give a dark chuckle as she then brought up her right foot. "Where do you think you're going?" She then slammed it down on the half of the crevice her foe was one, which quickly alerted him to danger. "I'm just getting started!"

With a mighty shove of her foot and a grunt, the silver-haired Kiri girl pushed down on the floor. What happened then seemed to defy all logic and physics, as the entire slab of ground making up that half of the arena within the concrete walls of the coliseum, was suddenly pushed up by Ryofu driving her foot into the edge closest to the fissure she'd formed. As a result, the entire semi-circle that was the battle zone swung up and formed a slope.

The entire audience of Genin and Jonin gaped when they saw the massive chunk of earth equivalent to the size of an animal summon lift up in front of them. Even an observing Hiruzen couldn't help but stare in shock at the sheer level of physical strength he was witnessing being flexed out there. It was almost comparable to that of his student- Tsunade.

The moment Ryofu tilted the plate of earth that was the arena up, Naruto and anybody else who happened to be on that side at the time ended up being affected by it. While Kari and Temari were safe, a recently recovered Omoi and Sasuke literally had to grip hold of the ground for dear life, as their entire world was suddenly turned vertical. While the boy with the broken sword slammed it into the earth and held on for dear life, the Uchiha simply focused his chakra on the backs of his arms and hands to grab onto the earth as he was lifted up towards the sky from the far end of the arena at an alarming speed.

"Shit! Shit! What the hell!" Omoi cursed, having to hold onto his sword with all his strength, despite having recently recovered from a temporary paralysis. It was hard. "This is ridiculous!"

As for Naruto, the blond had been in the middle of a backwards jump when the silver-haired kunoichi flipped the plate of earth. The moment he flew back, he ended up slamming into the side of the semi-circle piece of earth, which left him sprawled against it and looking ahead of him in momentary surprise. It was after being forced up against the plate he saw Ryofu leap off of the ground beneath him, fly up to where he was positioned, and draw back both her fists.

In the haze of movement, the girl unleashed a lightning fast barrage of punches upon the stuck blond, who managed to lift up both his arms in time to guard against the fists that came raining down on him. The attacks Ryofu threw were so fast and so random that the wall of earth he'd been thrown up against ended up getting pulverized by her punches too. The entire plate, which was roughly fifteen feet thick and had been tilted to such an absurd angle, wound up fracturing under the power and ferocity of the kunoichi's attacks.

The girl, still grinning madly, finished her brisk combination of punches with a heel kick to the boy's ribs, which not only smashed him down, but also set the massive slab of earth back where it came from. A deafening crash rang out as the entire suburb shook under the hundreds of tons of rock slamming down into the floor, with a massive cloud of dust kicking up over the walls when the piece had been reset. As for Naruto, the blond ended up bouncing off of the ground when he was kicked into it, with the youngster gritting his teeth and glaring up at the girl when she dropped down right on top of him.

"COME ON!" Ryofu shouted as she drove her foot into the ground and punched a crater in the earth, at the same time Naruto jumped back to avoid her blow. "GIVE ME MORE! ATTACK ME! SHOW ME YOUR TRUE STRENGTH!" The girl then sprang at him with a flurry of Mantis jabs, which shot out at the blond at blinding speed.

Naruto meanwhile, blocking and deflecting her attacks with similar movements, then leered menacingly as a vein throbbed on his temple. "You want me to attack? Alright! EAT THIS!" After slamming a front kick into her chest that was effectively blocked by the girl, but sent her sliding away nonetheless, the youngster then lunged forward in a blur and sent his knee flying forward- the point of it heating of orange as he broke the sound barrier with his speed. _**"Kūken: Oyasumi Hiza!"**_ (Void Fist: Goodnight Knee)

The kunoichi gasped when she felt the power behind the approaching attack and quickly crossed her arms over her face. What happened was Naruto's attack slamming full-on into her arms, which caused a loud crack to fill the stadium and generated a shockwave so powerful it further pulverized the ground beneath them. The strength behind the kid's signature attack threw Ryofu off her feet and sent her flying towards the stands where the spectators were all watching from.

The Rookie 12 all braced themselves when they saw the Kiri Genin flying at them. However, when they thought she was going to slam right into the railings and go through them, the girl performed an aerial flip, landed against it with her feet so hard she warped the bar, before springing off of it in a blur. Naruto also sprang off the ground and into the air.

From there, the two kids began leaping from wall to wall, from surface to surface, crisscrossing the airspace above and around the stadium at such a speed that they both left visible air trails of where they'd been. The entire space around the coliseum basically transformed into a moving net, in which both combatants began an intense game of cat and mouse- chasing, pursuing, evading, and intercepting one another at random. Shockwaves rang out throughout the air whenever the two crossed paths, indicating that they'd collided with some sort of technique, before retreating at high speed, landing against something, and going after their opponent again.

The only sounds that could be heard were the deafening thuds of their blows and the rushing of wind, as the duo did everything they could to stay ahead of their foe. Their shouts, yelps and grunts were also interwoven within the exchange, which in turn showed that they were hitting harder and getting faster with each passing second.

Due to their sudden increase in agility, both Neji and Hinata had to activate their _Byakugan_ just to keep the pair in sight, with the two geniuses looking through the air in utter bewilderment.

" _Naruto-kun… he's gotten even stronger than Mizuki-sensei when he activated his Cursed Seal,"_ Hinata thought, remembering back to the battle in the woods where she, Sasuke, Tenten, Tayuya and their blond compatriot had to work together in order to bring down the power mad Chunin. From what she could recall of that night, the girl could say without a shadow of a doubt that both Ryofu and Naruto far surpassed that level now.

They were now squaring off against one another at Jonin taijutsu level abilities- a feat that only the best prodigies in the past had ever achieved

A bead of sweat ran down Neji's face. _"W-What kind of monsters are they?"_ the Hyuuga from the branch family thought, at the same time seeing Naruto land against one of the support pillars above the spectators' stands and jump off of it, which caused the surface beneath him to fracture and crack in multiple places. _"Are those… even human movements?"_

Rock Lee gaped as his eyes snapped from left to right, as he attempted to catch other glimpses of the pair in action. But even with his superb reflexes and strength, even he was struggling to keep count of the number of blows being exchanged. _"Incredible! They're moving almost as fast as I can after activating the Third Gate!"_ The significance behind this achievement was nothing to sneeze at.

This much was also clear on Gai's face, who then sprouted a grin when he saw the duo exchange blows in midair before separating again with a loud _bang._ "Unbelievable."

While Kakashi and Sakura were also following the pair in disbelief- the Jonin having to uncover his Sharingan to keep Naruto in his line of sight- the kunoichi shook her head and gripped the railing in front of her tightly. "Amazing. Naruto-kun is… going head-to-head with her. EEP!" She then shrieked when the wall next to her cracked and one of the two kids flew past her.

For a split second, Sakura swore she saw that it was Naruto- and the kid had the biggest and happiest of grins on his faces. Simply glimpsing it caused his female teammate's heart to skip a beat, as it was one of the most amazing things she had ever witnessed during a battle.

Tama, who was watching the entire battle with both her eyes glued to the pair, smiled to herself as her tail wagged happily behind her. When she saw the two of them intercept each other on the wall, exchange a couple of hits, and then separate, the white fox spirit said to herself.

" _ **Naruto-kun is evolving even faster now,"**_ the kitsune whispered, her eyes snapping to the left when she saw Naruto, exuding a faint trace of blue, fiery chakra from his shoulders, land against a wall and then blast off of it. _ **"And he'll continue to grow more and more… I'll make sure of that."**_

After the pair danced around arena, cracking and pulverizing every single surface they came close to or made contact with, under the shocked eyes of the crowd, both Naruto and Ryofu took their fight back to the ground. When the pair intercepted one another in a cloud of dust, the silver-haired girl excitedly threw a side kick straight towards her approaching foe, who managed to sway under it at an impossible angle. Driving both hands into the floor, he then shot a kick straight up into her face, which she guarded with both her arms.

The blow connected at a steep angle and sent the kunoichi flying into the air with a sonic boom. Having delivered it with close to his full strength, Naruto then got onto all fours, and leapt off the floor at such speed he cratered the ground. All the Genin watching from below followed the pair up into the sky, where they saw the silver-haired kunoichi reach the peak of her flight at least thirty stories above the stadium.

When she slowed and suspended herself in midair, she saw Naruto appear right in front of her. Both floating within two feet of one another, Ryofu and her delinquent foe grinned at one another as they began to fall from their position in the sky and back down towards the stadium. As steam continued to roll off of her undamaged body and Naruto also continued to exude a strange heat from his own, the youngsters remained stationary for but a moment before what looked like a storm exploded between them.

Multiple bangs of equivalent to hundreds of fireworks going off all at once then erupted from the two youngsters, as they began lashing out at one another with a renewed surge of attacks. Their arms and legs blurred together as they traded attacks at high speed again once more, all the while falling through the sky and back towards the arena. Despite moving so fast that their bodies pretty much became an indiscernible haze of movement, the pair were in reality lashing out at one another with timed and well-aimed attacks, all of which utilized the most deadly and advanced movements of the Mantis fighting style.

Both parried and countered with superb precision, with their expression reflecting the intensity of their battle. Since they were moving so quickly, to them their fall from the sky felt like it took roughly half an hour. But after several seconds, the pair eventually reached the top of the coliseum above the ruined battle zone. As soon as they reached an altitude equivalent to the top row of spectator stands, the pair traded one last, decisive knee strike. Upon feeling their limbs collide, the pair then separated with a clap of an artillery round, and spiraled down to the floor on opposite ends of the arena.

Touching down at the same time in their respective crouches, the feral-looking Naruto and the murderous-looking Ryofu stood up and leered at one another. In spite of their lightning fast exchange of blows, both youngsters were only sporting light bruises on the cheeks and body, with their clothes slightly torn in places.

The result left the entire stadium speechless, as everyone from up in the Hokage stand to down in the pits alongside the Genin were unable to believe what'd just transpired. All they knew was that the sight had been incredible.

The only people who didn't seem tool fazed by their display were Mikoto, Hiruzen, Mae, Utakata, and Mei Terumi, and the ones holding it together the most were Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, Izumi, and all the other Jonin. Everyone else though- namely the younger ones- were just a few seconds away from having their eyes bugging out.

Inhaling deeply as steam slowly rose from her shoulders, Ryofu groaned in a sultry manner, "Kami… what a rush. I can't remember the last time another shinobi has ever pushed me this far in a fight. My heart is pounding like crazy from excitement!" Giggling to herself as her chest heaved in a satisfied manner, the kunoichi then craned her eyes back to Naruto, whom she saw was smirking back at her. "You… what is your name again?"

The whiskered delinquent, rolling his head about on his neck once to loosen it up, then cocked his head to the side and thumped his fist into his chest. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto… a fine name," Ryofu remarked with a smile, "I shall burn that into my memory and remember it to the day I die. As for me… Ryofu Sawamura was the name given to me by my father. But my mother… she gave to me the name she once used many years ago... back during the primordial days of our world." She then craned her head to the side and smirked broadly. " _ **Lu Bu**_ – daughter of the great ' _Flying General'_. Engrain that into your heart and soul… because it is the very name of the woman who will bring about your defeat."

The jinchuriki scoffed at her as he set himself into a new standing stance- fists raised at his sides and feet spread. "I suggest you do the same. Because I'm not even close to being finished, dattebayo."

Ryofu shuddered in delight as she then allowed her energy to course freely through her. "I'm sure you aren't… and neither am I." As a result of her spike in power, the steam rising off of her increased in heat and consistency, while the girl herself took a much wider stance. As she leant forward in a suggestive manner, her eyes suddenly shimmered with an ominous glow, which in turn had Naruto frown. "Here. Allow me to cap off our duel by showing you my greatest technique at _**one hundred percent**_ my base strength… from my homeland... to **_you_**."

Naruto and everyone else in the stadium then watched with great concern and intrigue as the girl slid her left foot, swung her arms about in a wide arc, before suddenly cupping them in front of her. The way she curled her fingers and kept her palms opened was almost like she was mimicking the jaws of an animal, in which she held the hands in front of her, before drawing both of them back to cup at her sides.

From there, the girl's grin widened all the more as she began to chant in her foreign tongue once more. _**"KAAAAAAAAA…. MMEEEEEEEEEE….!"**_ (Armored…) The shinobi watching from the stands recoiled in surprise when, in the center of their palms, they saw a ball of twisting green chakra form from a cluster of embers that materialized out of the air around her. As they came together at high speed, a mass of what looked like pure chakra started to burn and crackle into life, which caused the observing Naruto to balk in alarm when he sensed the energy in the girl climb to an unprecedented level.

When Utakata saw the technique being charged by the kunoichi, the boy's eyes widened in alarm. "Whoa! Hang on… that's-"

"NO!" Hearing her friend initiate that chant caused the observing Mae to uncross her arms and throw herself at the railing. "RYOFU! WAIT! IF YOU USE THAT TECHNIQUE HERE, YOU'LL WIPE OUT THIS ENTIRE-"

" _ **RYUUUUUUUUU… SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN…!"**_ (Dragon God…) the girl continued, completely unaware of her friend's desperate cry of warning as the ball of energy in her palms increased to the size of a basketball and began to pulse with green flames. As her power continued to climb, the ground at her feet started to crack and burn, with the Genin standing closest to her- Omoi, Sasuke, Temari and Kari- gaping in awe at the sphere that was building in her grip.

A few seconds later, after the ball of unknown, yet obviously volatile energy finally gained stability, the incredibly focused Ryofu gave a loud snarl as she felt the embers of the technique she was holding sizzle in her hand. With her target standing squarely in her sight, the girl then pulled back, loaded up her arms, and threw them forward with a mighty roar. _**"HAAAAAAA-eh?"**_ (…Wave)

The kunoichi was unexpectedly cut off when Naruto, using all the strength he could muster in his legs, charged forward in a blur, loaded up his leg, and kicked her hands upwards as hard as he could. Doing so not only meant that the girl's thrust was off its mark, but the attack she was using launched towards the top of the arena wall.

The instant the boy kicked her arms, the ball of energy blazing in Ryofu's palms erupted from her grip in a deafening blast of green fire, which roared over the arena, streaked past the roof of the stands- just a few meters from the Hokage's viewing platform- and shot over the horizon. Due to how immense the comet of an attack was, the spearhead of the blast managed to incinerate a hole through the tiles of the coliseum's roof, before the rest of it arced over the horizon and past the _Hokage Monument_.

When it struck the mountains about several dozen kilometers away from _Konohagakure_ , the people in the village swore they saw a second sun gleam into view, before a blast similar to a Biju bomb going off detonated in the distance. Due to the size of the bright green sphere, it was safe to assume that whatever edifice ended up catch the damn thing had ended up being turned into a pile of ash.

The entire crowd in the stadium stared bug-eyed in the direction the attack had been thrown, with most of the people gaping at the six meter wide hole that'd been burned into the roof over them.

As silenced reigned- and even the Fifth Hokage was gaping in surprise- down in the arena where the Genin had been fighting, Naruto still had his leg raised in a roundhouse kick, while Ryofu was standing in front of him with her hands still stretched forward.

With the smoke still settling around them, the surprised kunoichi looked across at Naruto. When she saw his intense gaze staring back at her, the silver-haired youngster blinked a couple of times, before her bewildered gape became replaced by a wide smile.

"Wow…"

Naruto grinned back at her, skillfully swinging back his leg, holding it above him in a split, before lowering it back to the floor all cool style. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Yeah. That happened. And yes, before anyone wants to point it out, 'Kame' in Japanese actually means turtle, because I know the signature move of Dragonball Z is translated as "Turtle Devastation Wave." However, I repurposed the technique for the "Chinese Equivalent" of the move to be read as Armored Dragon God Wave, due to Ryofu's relation to the Dragon in question.

And before anyone starts acting pissy in the comment section, Naruto is not an OP monster here. In this fic, he, Sasuke and Sakura all end up the same level with their own goals and achievements to reach. At this point, Naruto can still get smoked by the members of Akatsuki, Orochimaru and the job in. He only has an edge when he goes into beastly mode like he did here, but in a real match, he still gets stomped. More on this later.

So, since everyone is still scratching their heads over who this remarkable Genin is, I revealed to you the name of her historical counterpart and who she is based on. Allow me to drop another history lesson on all of you.

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (Part III):**

 **-Lu Bu (died 7** **th** **February 199) –** Given the courtesy name of _**Fengzian**_ and also known famously as the 'Flying General' or the 'General who Pacifies the East', was the name of one of China's most infamous and badass warlords. Famed for his role in the _Three Kingdoms Period_ of Ancient China, as well as his appearance in the 14th Century novel _Romance of the Three Kingdoms,_ Lu Bu was historically one of the most feared and powerful warriors in the history of the world. Renowned and infamous throughout all of China, the mere mention of his name was enough to send chills down the spine of even the most veteran warriors. Lu Bu was by all accounts a massive man, possessing immense strength, mastery of archery and horsemanship, and incomparable hand-to-hand fighting prowess. In some iteractions, he was often viewed as being stronger than _**Guan Yu**_ , who is celebrated today as a literal _**God of Valor/War**_ in China.

Back when he was alive, Lu Bu was adopted into a noble family where he proved his worth on the battlefield, but once the powerful warlord Dong Zhou offered him Red Hare, the fastest horse in all of China, Lu Bu flipped out, chopped off his adopted fathers head, and began calling Dong Zhou papa. Paradise didn't last for long, because when you're a maniacal killer who chops his families' heads off for horses, trouble seems to follow you. Lu Bu began sleeping with Dong Zhou's most favorite and loved mistress, Diao Chan. Apparently, sleeping with a woman he loved was one of Dong Zhou's bug-a-boos, and he presumably freaked out on Lu Bu. Sadly, like all men who attempted to yell at a treacherous killer, Dong Zhou ended up getting his head cut off. Lu Bu then fled into the countryside with his own personal army, and began killing pretty much anyone who shot him a look.

He became so famous that in today, Lu Bu has appeared in multiple films and animated shows, including, but not limited to the award-winning _**Red Cliff**_ **film** directed by John Woo, a female warrior in the anime series _**Ikki Tousen**_ , and most recently as a Berserker-Class warrior in _**Fate/Grand Order**_.

In _Naruto: Maoyu's_ storyline, Ryofu is the direct descended of the original _**Lu Bu**_ , who lived as a warlord around the time of Princess Kaguya. Sharing the same name as her, Ryofu inherited all of her predecessor's skills, power, and strength- and is said to be even more talented than her parent. She possesses ridiculous hand-to-hand skills (kung fu) that she inherited from her homeland _**Tianchao**_ (Naruto's version of mainland **China** , translated as Celestial Empire), and is capable of using chi- a unique form of energy that is completely separate from chakra.


	24. Chunin Exam Arc I - New Goals Part I

**Author's Note:** Before anyone makes any comments at the end of this chapter, I took a lot of inspiration from both **Fate/Grand Order** and **God of War** to write the combat scenes for this issue. For anyone who makes any comments about this chapter having any DBZ references in it, bear in mind that I didn't use any- except for one single sequence towards the end that is very subtle.

It's kind of infuriating that whenever someone writes a fanfiction battle with a lot of destruction featured in it, everyone's first reflex is to quote DBZ. Well, for this chapter I didn't use any DBZ to help me write it, so please reframe from making any comments to the contrary, since most of what I put in here I took from **Fate/Apocrypha** \- it being my biggest muse at the moment.

Aside from that, I also have to mention that this chapter will set the standard/power goal that all the characters will be trying to reach- Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura included. If anyone is wondering what the power bar I'm setting in this fanfiction is and where the bar is going to be placed, they will find out exactly where I've set the standard in this chapter- especially in a story where ninja take on Gods and Demons.

Enjoy.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _New Goals Part I_

"Alright. And that's time," the slightly distressed and ragged looking Hayate called out from where he had previously been standing on the field- safely over by the trees where he had something to hang on to. Of course, safety had sort of been a subjective statement in this case, as the Chunin in the bandana- as well as all the other people gathered inside the stadium- had literally needed to duck and cover as the battle between Naruto and Ryofu had been bumped up from eye-opening to downright insane.

After some of the feats that they witnessed being performed by the two… let's say… _Genin_ , it was a miracle that all of them were able to walk away from this.

Understandably, based on his own sensibilities, the Chunin decided right then and there to put an end to the fight, lest anymore building-leveling, mountain cracking shit started to happen. After seeing the blond youngster kick away the mass of light that was fired from the silver-haired girl's hands, Hayate was positive that he was making the right call here. Upon looking up at the Hokage and the other delegates for confirmation, the practice match was officially brought to a close.

When they heard the Chunin metaphorically blow the whistle, both Naruto and Ryofu took a big step away from one another. Though the fight had drawn to a close, neither of them were able to look away from their opponent, as the excitement and intensity of the battle had risen to such a degree that the pair were still itching to go at each other. But, being the law-abiding shinobi that they were, the two merely chose to glare heatedly at one another- one with a big smile and the other with her cocky grin.

Choji, who had squatted down when the massive green blast of fire shot over him and everybody else beside him, was still clutching the railing with his hands. "I-I-Is it over?" Because of how white his knuckles currently were, it wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if he was managing to warp the metal under his grip. "Are we still alive?"

"Yes, Choji. We're still alive… somehow," Shikamaru replied exhaustedly, while at the same time reaching up to scratch his head. When he looked back down at the arena where Naruto was still facing off against Ryofu, the lazy yet clever young male from the Nara Clan couldn't help but groan, "Man. What the heck was up with all of _that_? Nothing about what I just saw made any sense physically."

"Things just got super crazy down there, super-fast,"' Ino remarked, at the same time leaning against the railings and looking down at the two kids in awe. "Just what the hell was that attack Ryofu just used? I've never seen anything like it." Not only had the glare from the light been intense enough to cause everyone to flinch, but the entire body of it was hot as well. They practically felt the energy coming off of it when it soared right over them and took out a decent chunk of the roof along with it.

That information alone was more than enough to tell all the Genin and Jonin present in the bleachers that whatever that technique was, it was not something to be taken lightly. This wasn't even counting the fact that it collided with a piece of land in the distance and practically incinerated it as well.

The instructors of course, who were still standing upright and appearing somewhat composed, couldn't help but glare down at the pit where the Genin from _Kirigakure_ was facing off against their resident jinchuriki. As they watched the other contestants Omoi, Sasuke, Temari and Kari limp back over from where they'd been standing or lying down to form into a row, the Jonin of the Konoha contingent took that opportunity to make a brief, shared assessment on what they'd just witnessed.

"Ryofu compressed an enormous and highly volatile amount of chakra into her hands, and launched it at her opponent with the intent of taking him out of the fight for good," Kurenai mumbled, reaching up and rubbing her chin at the same time. "That is… if you can even call what she used _chakra_."

"I don't think it was," the voice of Izumi spoke up, drawing the rest of her colleagues' attention across to her. When they saw her looking down at the arena, she had both her _Sharingan_ activated and open at full gaze. "I watched the whole thing from start to finish, and the energy that she drew on and used in that jutsu wasn't anything like the chakra we use on a daily basis. It almost looked like fire… only it was a hundred times more intense and potent."

Gai frowned at this statement, "Could it be an advanced form of nature transformation? Or a _kekkei genkai_?"

Izumi shook her head, "No. This was something different." She then deactivated her Sharingan and crossed her arms astutely. "Whoever she is, she doesn't use the same chakra that we use on this continent. That means she and the energy she channels must come from another place entirely."

A nod was given by Kurenai as she looked back down at the girl in question, "Her fighting style is completely new to me. Plus she was chanting all of her techniques in a foreign language. Judging from the use of tones in each syllable and the way that they were stringed together, I'm going to venture a guess that her clan must've originated from the country of _**Tianchao**_ (Celestial Empire)."

"Tian-what?" Kiba repeatedly, his attention having been drawn toward the Jonin's discussion as he and the rest of his teammates looked back at their teacher. "Never heard of it."

The red-eyed kunoichi beamed down at her confused youngsters. "The world that we live in is a very big place… bigger than what you kids probably studied and learned about from your teachers back at the academy," Kurenai informed. Noticing that all the other kids were looking across at her too, the woman quickly found herself standing in the spotlight and proceeded to elaborate. "The _Five Great Shinobi Villages_ and their neighbors make up only a single continent of this planet. There are four others out there that we know of-"

" _ **Asie**_ (Asia), _**Europa**_ (Europe), _**Sidra**_ (Africa), and _**Columbia**_ (America)," Izumi finished, not wanting to leave all the explanations to her colleague and chiming in during her pause. "The people of these lands refer to ours as the continent of _**En**_ (Japan), or the _Elemental Nations_ for short."

Asuma then followed up with a quick breakdown of his own. "In terms of numbers, _Asie_ \- which lies across the ocean past _Mizu no Kuni_ (Land of Water) - grosses the highest population and the largest economy in the world. Their land is connected to the continent of _Europa_ via the _Silk Road_ \- a land of many kingdoms and empires that rests on the other side of the planet. And sitting south of them is the enormous desert continent of _Sidra_ , which consists of hundreds of communities and multiple patches of wildlife."

"To the west of where _Kaze no Kuni_ (Land of Wind) and _Tsuchi no Kuni_ (Land of Earth) end, hundreds of miles across the ocean, is the last continent of _Columbia_ ," Kurenai carried on while placing her hands on her hips. "Their land is made up of many wild frontiers and sprawling megacities, and their technology is said to be the most advanced of all the continents. The only reason we know about any of these places is through our most recent trade with them."

" _Tianchao_ is a country residing on the continent of _Asie_ ," Asuma finished, drawing everyone's attention to him as he broke out a small smile. "Culturally speaking, they are very similar to us in many respects. However, the villages in that land are ruled by a single, governing empire, which in turn is run by an Emperor. People traveling over from there bring with them many stories about their warriors, their people, and their practices- as well as how none of them even use chakra as a means of fighting. In fact, they say they don't even know chakra even exists. We're the only ones in the world that use it."

"That's so _bizarre_ ," Ino murmured, unable to fully comprehend how an entire group of people- several- could not even know about chakra. It was their bread and butter growing up. A way of life. And here she was now learning that there were other cultures out there that didn't know about chakra, but probably used a different source of energy altogether.

"So then… this Ryofu girl … she and her family come from a far off country across the sea?" Hinata asked, while at the same time looking back down at the mysterious young girl to see her step further away from Naruto. "She moved here with her parents… and became a Genin of _Kirigakure_."

As this revelation sank in to everyone present- kids and adults alike- Kurenai couldn't help but cross her arms and feel a small smile tug at the corner of her lips.

"Our world is changing around us every day- becoming more and more open to trade, people, cultures, and ideas," the kunoichi said, loud enough for her other colleagues to take in and process. "Whether or not we decide to change with it and accept them into our society, is entirely up to us."

Izumi also broke out a big grin of her own. "That's the big thing about progress. There's absolutely no stopping it." One way or another, something had to give.

As for the Genin down below, while Ryofu and Naruto were still standing tall, the others were pretty much whipped. Sasuke and Kari were looking quite perturbed- both of whom were currently glaring daggers across at the silver haired kunoichi responsible for their bruises. Omoi was also doing his best to shake the feeling back into his body after having one of the nerves in his neck practically struck from its position, meaning he was too preoccupied to worry about the others. And Temari was also appearing quite shaken up and was tentatively looking across at Naruto and his face-off with Ryofu.

Needless to say, all of them were feeling like shit right now, and a couple of them were itching for some payback.

"That was a good bout, kids," Hayate informed all of them when he saw the collection of Genin form up in front of him. Upon acknowledging each of them and seeing their eyes turn to him, the Chunin then brought his hand up and formed the _Seal of Confrontation_. "As custom dictates, let's end this match on a high note. Make sure to give each other the _Sign of Reconciliation_ and leave this arena in good spirits."

And that's exactly what all six of the Genin did… or at least attempted to. While Sasuke and Omoi were more than happy to shake hands with one another on- with Kari also doing the same with the Uchiha and the shinobi from the Hidden Cloud- the youngsters were quite hesitant when it came to locking fingers with Ryofu. The kunoichi of course expressed her gratitude for the chance to fight with a brief nod of her head to each of her opponents when it came down to making peace with them. The last of whom however, Temari, ended up giving the girl a very foul glare as she did so.

"Just so you know, this isn't over between us. Not by a long shot," the golden haired girl whispered to Ryofu when they wrapped their fingers around one another. The fan-user then tightened her grip on the Kiri Genin's digits and subtly yanked her closer, "The next time we meet, I'm going to get my win back. You can count on it."

The kunoichi from the Hidden Mist beamed back at her excitedly, "I'll be looking forward to that day with open arms." When she released and stepped away, she then noticed that all four of her original opponents were giving her looks filled with grit and resolve. The sight of all of them standing against her made it very clear to the martial artist that all of them wanted to have another crack at beating her, which helped stem Ryofu's anticipation for the inevitable trials and competition to come. When she eventually looked back at Naruto afterwards, she saw the blond was still looking at her with the same expression of seriousness and excitement. "We'll settle this battle in the finals of the main tournament."

Naruto smirked while tilting his head at the cocky looking girl. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Be sure not to die on any missions before that… otherwise I'm going to be severely disappointed," Ryofu replied, while at the same time turning away and stepping towards where the Genin were now forming a line. Before she could get into position however, the kunoichi stopped and glanced back at him. "This was just a preliminary demonstration. If we end up facing each other in an actual match, you can bet I won't be holding anything back."

The jinchuriki, blinking at first, then cracked a smile, "You bring your best game to the table and I promise I'll bring mine. That way we can both have the time of our lives."

Once all of that was said, the Genin gathered in the fighting pit quickly assembled into a row beside Hayate and turned their attention towards their audience. When all eyes craned towards the balcony sitting above the main stands where both the Hokage and the delegates from the other nations were currently sitting and overlooking the procedures. Upon laying eyes on the emissaries and seeing their intense gazes squarely set on them, the group of youngsters down below felt a swell of significance pass through them, which in turn prompted the more astute ones to straighten up on the spot.

As for the representatives from the other big villages in attendance, they had a few words they needed to get off of their chests.

This first came out in the form of a hearty applause, which started up in the Hokage box and quickly filtered down over the rest of the audience. Once everyone caught on to the wave, everyone standing or sitting beneath the tiled shelter began expressing their praises and congratulations to the six young prodigies that'd performed before them today. Despite initially being stunned into submission by the many incredible demonstrations of sheer strength and skill that had taken place during the mock battle, no one had any reservations about giving the kids the shining endorsement that they deserved.

"That was great! Fantastic!" the man from _Kumogakure_ said out loud, while at the same time turning towards Mikoto with a big grin on his face. "To think that a group of mere children could put on such a show during a mock battle. I have to say, I'm truly impressed."

"It would seem that we have a good crop of youngsters this time around," the woman from _Sunagakure_ remarked. After finishing her applause, she then set her hands at her sides and turned to the Hokage. "They all show incredible spirit and promise as future Chunin."

"If these were merely the second best candidates from each of the villages, I can't wait to see what the true elites will be able to accomplish in a few months' time," the bearded man from _Iwagakure_ informed from his seat, while at the same time standing up. "That battle between the blond haired runt and the young one from _Kirigakure_ certainly set the bar high for all of our other Genin to reach."

Mikoto nodded in agreement while looking across at the emissaries to her right. "So I assume that none of you have any problems with passing this information along to your Kage and setting an official date for the main event?" That is of course if they were still all keen for the tournament to take place.

"Of course," the visitor from _Sunagakure_ shook her head while smiling, "My village has yet to show the best that it can do. I'm also going to venture a guess that young Temari down there will be itching for some payback against that girl from the hidden mist." She then turned her attention to the _Kirigakure_ representative, who was standing nearby with his arms crossed. "Your little martial artist did a real number on the other contenders- despite it being four against one. Seeing how well she did, I have every reason to believe that my group will be coming back swinging at the real trials."

In response, the male in the shinobi coat and hat smirked broadly at the other delegates. "My team will be more than happy to accept any challenges posed to them. Bear in mind that they will be working just as hard in preparation for the competition."

"Same here," the visitor from _Iwagakure_ responded.

"Mine as well," _Kumogakure's_ ambassador said while sticking his chest out proudly. "I'll inform Raikage-sama of the results and advise him that he should begin prepping teams still willing to participate in the event."

Mikoto grinned at hearing the votes from all four delegates, "Then we have an accord." Turning her attention to the stadium below, the woman stepped forward and spoke up in a loud voice for everyone to hear. "I would personally like to thank everyone who came down here today, as well as the Genin who participated in this demonstration, for devoting their time and energy to attending. Every single one of you showed great skill, strength, courage, and potential- as well as the willingness to fight proudly for the villages that each of you represent. We all look forward to watching you perform in the coming exams, with hopes that you will all make it to the finals."

The moment they heard the Hokage offer her praise and remarks, the Genin down below all bowed to her in thanks, including Naruto and Ryofu. This in turn was followed by yet another light applause from the people in the audience, with Hiruzen rising from his seat and clapping alongside his shinobi escorts.

While everyone was caught up in giving the contestants another round of congratulations, with the Hokage and the ambassadors slowly beginning to vacate the podium, in the bleachers towards the very back of the stadium, slightly hidden away by one of its many entrances and adorned in his grey and black ANBU uniform, stood Tetsuo Uchiha. His pale face framed by a big scar running across it and his short silver hair standing on end gave the Jonin Uchiha a very foreboding air as he glared down at the arena with a look that was a mixture of displeasure and unease.

Despite his status as an elite ninja of the village, as well as being a member of one of the leaf's most prominent clans, the shinobi-turned-enemy-spy was currently tapping his finger against his bicep, while at the same time frowning at the remnants of the display he'd just witnessed.

Having arrived in time to witness the entire mock battle in its entirety, it was understandable to see that the man was both unnerved and concerned.

" _The Kyuubi's jinchuriki… and that girl from Kirigakure… to think that there were kids out there possessing this kind of strength. It's almost completely unnatural,"_ Tetsuo thought. In truth, the only reason he came out here to watch the event was to see Sasuke in action. Considering his employer Orochimaru had expressed a keen interest in collecting information on the young prodigy- as well as several other known talents- the Uchiha adult had decided to drop by and do some recon. Of course, he wasn't planning on passing any of this information out to the Sannin, since he had no interest in his side-hobbies. He was simply investigating for his own benefit.

Needless to say his presence here has yielded some astonishing results.

Uncrossing his arms and turning about, the brooding silver-haired Sharingan-user decided to depart from the stadium. The moment he began descending the corridor back into the village's main streets, Tetsuo was unable to stop a rather discomforting thought from crossing his mind.

"Something tells me that there are going to be a lot more monsters coming out of these exams than last time. The question is… _who_ ," the Jonin said to himself, which quickly led him to wondering what other kinds of beasts were currently lurking out there in the world.

Aside from the obvious, of course…

OOO

(Sometime later)

(Afternoon)

The end of the demonstration was marked by a final announcement from Mikoto, who applauded the success of this assignment and wished all the Genin present the best of luck. Everyone was then kindly dismissed from the stadium, with the Jonin gathering up their Genin teams and the medical staff quickly moving into the arena to see to those who'd fought in the event. Sasuke, Temari and Omoi were the first ones to receive treatment from the nurses in attendance, whereas Ryofu and Naruto were the last. When the medic-nin approached them, the duo insisted they were fine and refused treatment, until they were both scolded by their respective teammates.

It was quite cute to see a frowning Sakura tell the obviously stronger Naruto off for his stubbornness, before forcing him to sit down and receive a quick exam from the doctor. Even Utakata bonking Ryofu over the head and causing her to act all pouty drew some laughs from an observing Mae and their teacher. But once everyone had been checked, bandaged up, and given the green light, the crews were then sent on their respective ways and back toward their homesteads- be it permanent or temporary.

Kakashi, while he did have a momentary word with Naruto about jumping into the middle of that match and how it probably broke normal procedure, the man did give the kid a pat on the shoulder for his show of chivalry and bravado. He even expressed how proud he was that he had a student who was brave enough to step in to defend someone, whether they were from their village or an allied one. But once the brief lecture was over and done with, the silver haired elite decided to treat his squad to a late lunch.

Taking them out to the south district of the village off of the main strip, Kakashi eventually brought his squad to a small udon noddle shop, which was nestled around the corner beside a small string of other businesses. Here, at this very traditional and cozy little setup, the group were able to sit down for a very delicious bowl of hand-made noodles, which they were able to watch be made from their side of the counter.

After having a bowl of the freshly made noodles laid out in front of them, the trio wasted no time in digging in. Soon the sounds of satisfied slurping filled the entire bar, as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke indulged in their post-mock-battle reward.

"Ow," Sasuke suddenly exclaimed, at the same time reaching up and tentatively touching his cheek with his fingers.

The boy's grumble at the end drew Naruto and Sakura's attention across to him. "You okay?" the blond youngster asked, at the same time his friend Tama looked over at the Uchiha from where she lay comfortably on his shoulder.

A headshake from the Uchiha told the others at the desk that he'd managed to power through his momentary shot of pain. "When that Ryofu girl ran at me with that string of attacks after she punctured my chest with her fingers, she managed to hit me in the face over a dozen times. But I'll be alright." He then rolled his jaw about and pressed his tongue against the inside of his mouth to the right. "Although… I think one of my bottom molars has come loose."

"Yeah. That tends to happen to you after getting socked in the jaw with a sledgehammer over and over," Naruto remarked, all the while casually stirring his the contents of his bowl with his chopsticks. Unlike his compatriot, who had bandages wrapped around his waist, chest, neck, and a bit around his head, the blond just had a couple of band aids slapped over his cheeks. Though he'd been able to walk away from the fight relatively unscathed, he'd still received several clean hits. In contrast to his teammate, his wounds weren't all that bad. "I think this was the first time in a while that I've actually had to work so hard against someone in a one-on-one contest. That girl was _crazy_ strong." Probably the strongest normal opponent he'd ever fought.

Of course, normal was kind of subjective at this point. Nobody in their world was considered normal.

"Hmph. You don't need to tell me that," Sasuke mumbled, at the same time returning to nursing the bowl of noodles simmering in front of him. "As much as I hate to admit it, that silver-haired spitfire was taking it easy on me and the other three. Even when all of us teamed up together to fight her, it still wasn't enough." It'd been both terrifying and frustrating for the young Uchiha, who up until this point had always relied on his strength, ingenuity, and all-around stubbornness to help him pull through any test thrown at him. Nine times out of ten he'd always been able to come out ahead one way or another.

The match that he'd been tangled in today had been a real wakeup call… and it left him feeling like he'd been whipped.

Sensing his student's clear displeasure, Kakashi saw it was a good time for him to intervene. "Don't feel too bad about your loss. Things like that happen to everyone… just not normally at the same time," the Jonin informed, which promptly drew the attention of his team. When he saw the trio glance in his direction, the adult in the mask leant forward in a studious manner. "That girl wasn't your average kunoichi. At least not in the conventional sense. Even though she seemed like an ordinary Genin on the outside, in terms of overall skill, ability, and power, she was an opponent that neither you nor any of the other kids in that ring were prepared to face. Her power was on a whole other level, and her fighting style and tactics were entirely different from a shinobi's."

Sakura nodded in agreement while turning to the Uchiha beside her, "Yeah. I mean… when you were facing off against the kids from the other three villages, you had all of them on their toes and working up a sweat. If it had just been you against any one of those guys in a one-on-one fight, there is a one-hundred percent chance that you could've beaten them. No doubt." And she meant that.

"The four of you just had the misfortune of sharing the ring with someone who was pretty much a taijutsu monster of Kakashi's level," Naruto chimed in, while at the same time adding his own two cents to the matter.

"So sort of like you, right?" Sasuke added, while looking across at the blond with his usual scowl. "You held out against her pretty damn well, compared to the rest of us."

The whiskered youngster chuckled while picking up some more noodles from his bowl. "Yeah. But you know me. I don't fight like a normal ninja… and my physical strength is monstrous to boot. Since I started life out as a brawler and a slugger taking on every rough-neck and delinquent from every corner of the village, I knew exactly how to deal with someone like her."

"Everyone has their strengths, Sasuke-kun," Kakashi stated, once again pulling the Uchiha's gaze across to him. "You stuck to yours and showed all of us a really good performance out there in the ring. Just know that the information and experience that you gained from this day- regardless of the battle's ultimate outcome- will be an invaluable tool for you to use in the future. So don't let any of it go to waste."

These words of wisdom from his teacher helped to make Sasuke feel a whole lot better about his defeat. Understandably though, despite the Jonin's encouragement, none of it really helped to reduce the physical bruising the Uchiha had been afflicted with, which became evident by how every time he started chewing, he would visibly flinch.

"I guess I'm just going to have to get used to fighting more diverse opponents," Sasuke stated, before then looking across at Naruto. "That being said, your bout with her was pretty outrageous, dobe. You actually made her work for it."

When that was said, Sakura glanced across at Naruto with a curious look, at the same time memories of the fight with the Kiri Genin quickly flickered through her mind. "The referee stopped the fight before you guys could really finish it. If you and Ryofu had been allowed to keep going… how do you think the match would've ended between the two of you?" the pinkette asked, a question that also drew an interested glance from the other two males at the table.

The blond, after adjusting the collar of his jacket and his scarf _Aijo_ , narrowed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Honestly… I think I would've lost." His statement on the matter caused Sakura and Sasuke to blink in surprise. "She was only fighting at her base level of strength, which means she must have some ridiculous reserves that I haven't seen yet. As for me… well… even though I didn't look it, it was taking everything I had just to keep pace with her and stop her from taking me out."

"Whoa…" Sakura breathed, at the same time looking ahead of her with a noticeably look of dread in play. "So… if we were to go into the Chunin Exams as we are _now_ … and end up facing her in the tournament stage… she would destroy us-"

"Not unless we focus on preparing and training you guys for the event," Kakashi's voice cut in, which prompted his entire team to look across at him in surprise. When they saw the serious gaze reflected in the man's one, exposed eye, the kids knew right away that their instructor was now regarding them with his utmost attention and focus- as opposed to his usual offhanded attitude towards everything else. "Now that we know what to expect in the tournament and who the main competition is going to be, we're going to use the next two to three months working on building up all of your strengths and fixing your weaknesses -whether it's taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, or chakra control. Though we'll still be able to go out on missions together, I'm going to spend most of the next few weeks putting you guys through the meat grinder."

This statement put big smiles on the faces of all three Genin present, all of whom were now giving their teacher the due respect he deserved as their captain.

"Does that mean you're going to be teaching us some new tricks as well, sensei?" the whiskered delinquent asked.

"That's right," Kakashi replied with a wide smile appearing under his mask, "I'm going to show you, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-san some new jutsu that you'll be able to use during close-quarter skirmishes- ones that I know will be perfect for your respective fighting styles." Given his current experience and knowledge about each of them, the Jonin could guarantee that all three of them were going to benefit from this in some way.

" _Bitchin',"_ Naruto thought, an exclamation that was shared by a verbal grunt of satisfaction from the Uchiha and an enthusiastic smile from their kunoichi counterpart. While the prospect of harder training did bring a sense of excitement to the latter, she was more or less anticipating the skills that she was going to end up learning from their teacher.

As of right now, her arsenal of shinobi techniques was quite short compared to the boys on her team. While Naruto had been an incredibly big help when it came to physical workouts and fitness, and their teacher had done a great job in teaching them new tactics and strategies, she had yet to learn any really good ninjutsu or genjutsu outside of the basic three that they'd learned at the academy. However, now that Kakashi was open to the idea of teaching them a new jutsu, she was all on board for the idea and ready for action.

" _This means I'll be able to grow even more as a ninja… and maybe even catch up to Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san,"_ Sakura thought, her fingers curling into fists as she imagined the kind of lessons that were just waiting around the corner. She then looked at their teacher excitedly. "We're ready, sensei. Just name the time and place."

"Tomorrow morning. Five o'clock. The usual spot. I'll take you guys up into the hills beside the _Hokage Monument_ where we won't be disturbed. This way we'll be able to get the best out of your sessions, away from the comforts of your usual areas," Kakashi informed, which in turn had the three kids nod.

" _So Tayuya-chan and I are waking up at three for our usual training,"_ Naruto thought, at the same time making a mental note to adjust the time for his clock. He was in for an early rise and while his roommate might have a few objections to make, he wasn't going to complain.

He needed to train as much as he could if he was going to get ready to face off against Ryofu again… and so did the rest of his team. It was written clearly on their faces, which was more than enough to tell Kakashi that his squad shared a unanimous agreement on the matter.

Once the date and time had been set, the squad casually finished up their late lunches. After Kakashi generously paid for their meals and all of them stepped out of the shop, the silver haired elite quickly excused himself from their circle in the usual manner, and vanished in a puff of smoke. After that the three Genin then slowly made their way across the village back toward their respective clan strongholds and/or neighborhoods.

By the time they began making the medium-short trip home, the afternoon sky had started pulling into evening, with the sun setting over the horizon creating a crisp, orange hue in the atmosphere above. This marked the setting for a very calm and enlightening period for the

Formed into their typical three-person row as they marched down at the road shoulder to shoulder, with Tama riding shotgun and enjoying the view from the top of her partner's head, the members of Team 7 spent the time they had on their journey through the side streets talking over the events they'd witnessed.

"Well… this was a pretty exciting day," Sakura remarked with her hands behind her back and her eyes glued onto the side of Naruto's face. The pinkette beamed when she saw the delinquent glance at her. "I had a great time watching those fights. Especially when you decided to get all _heroic_ on us and jumped right in there with the others."

The whiskered youngster grinned at her through his band aids. "Be honest… did I look cool?"

A light blush appeared on the kunoichi's cheeks as she returned his smile with her own. "Pretty cool." That was putting it mildly of course. When she saw the blond stand up to the silver-haired devil, he almost looked like a full-blown adult ninja facing off against an angry predator. It'd been badass.

Sasuke, overhearing this, gave a wide smirk and closed his eyes. "Don't be getting too doe-eyed over him for that, Sakura. I bet the idiot only did what he did to impress the other girls watching in the audience. Being the try-hard that he is."

Eye twitching, the jinchuriki quickly snapped his eyes towards the boy and frowned, "Hey. I resent that."

The Uchiha looked at his teammate, "What? It's true, isn't it?"

"So what if it is?" Naruto retorted, at the same time narrowing his eyes on their star prodigy. "I saved your ass, didn't I?"

"Technically you saved that Suna girl's ass," Sasuke answered calmly, while simultaneously giving the delinquent a smug smile. "Though I'm guessing there was some kind of ulterior motive behind your actions, I'm not going to even bother guessing what it was. I mean… it is pretty obvious." She was quite attractive after all, from an outsider's perspective.

While the blond continued to give Sasuke the stink-eye, to the point that it looked like he was going to attack the kid, Sakura- who couldn't help but snicker at the boys' argument- then had another interesting thought cross her mind. "Since we're still on the subject, there's something that I still don't understand." When the two boys looked at her, the young kunoichi moved her hands together and formed a circle out of them. "Just before the officials stopped the fight, that Ryofu girl pulled out this really weird chakra and tried to use it against you. What the hell was that attack anyway?"

Their attention quickly shifting from picking on Naruto's 'habits' to investing more time in the _Kirigakure_ Genin, Sasuke furrowed his brow in a contemplative manner as he thought back to final minutes of that mock battle. "Hmm. I'm not sure. It kind of reminded me of that technique that Mizuki-sensei tried to use against us back in the woods. Remember the one that Hinata deflected into the sky?" When he saw Sakura nod, the Genin continued, "Only this one seemed a lot different."

"It definitely wasn't a _fire release_ jutsu… or a _lightning release_ jutsu either. And she didn't use any hand signs to execute it… just that drawn-back, double-palm thrust motion," Naruto went on, slipping his hands into his pockets as he shared a look with his compatriots. Given the fact that he'd been personally involved with the situation in question, it was obvious the youngster was quite invested in breaking this mystery down. "If that thing had actually hit me, I bet it would've turned my whole body into ash, and leveled every single building behind me for several blocks in the process."

While looking down, Sasuke then got a really irritated look from out of nowhere, "I noticed through my _Sharingan_ that the same chakra she used in that technique was coming off of her entire body… and was growing more and more intense as the fight dragged on. It only got really bright after Naruto jumped in to take her on." He then looked back up at Naruto and Sakura seriously. "Judging from what I observed, I can guess that the same chakra she used in that blast was the same stuff she used to power her body. And the weird thing was that the energy emitting from her was making it difficult for me to read her movements. I couldn't even follow a simple hand movement or gesture that she made."

Sakura, taking in what was being said, then frowned. "Does that mean… she was using her chakra to deliberately stop your _Sharingan_ from copying and predicting her movements?"

"No doubt," Sasuke replied, at the same time clenching his teeth and glaring ahead of him. "And to me… that presents a really big problem. Just what kind of chakra out there can stop a dōjutsu from reading it?"

" _ **Perhaps because it wasn't chakra,"**_ the womanly voice of Tama chimed in, causing the kids to momentarily jump and look towards the fox perched on Naruto's head. When they saw the white vixen looking down at them with her tail swishing behind her, the Genin then heard her continue after she was certain she had their eyes and ears on her. _**"Unlike the majority of people living on this continent, the energy that was coursing through that girl's veins is something that her people call**_ _chi_ _ **."**_

Sakura blinked, " _Chi_? What's that?"

" _ **A very powerful energy source that serves as a life force for many of the humans living on the other side of this planet."**_ The little fox spirit then proceeded to explain. _**"For over a hundred thousand years, this world has served as a conduit for multiple cosmic and divine forces crossing over from other dimensions and realities. The energy source that became known as**_ _'Chakra'_ _(Circle)_ _ **came to this part of the planet from one such dimension… while the energy source that became known as**_ _'Chi'_ _(Air)_ _ **landed on another part. From that, the civilizations that were born on each continent adopted these energies as part of their cultural practices and made them an integral part of their respective lifestyles."**_

Sasuke blinked as he processed all of this, "I see. So Ryofu is a user of one of these _other_ energies?"

" _ **Correct,"**_ Tama answered with a nod. _**"While your people use 'Chakra' as an umbrella term to describe all the energies existing in your world, you have to understand that not all energy sources fall under the same veil or follow the same rules. There are many different forces existing on this planet- with each one having their own components, pathways, and points of origin.**_ _Chakra_ _ **originally came from the**_ _Shinju_ _(God Tree)_ _ **, and combines spiritual and physical energies together in order to function.**_ _Chi_ _ **on the other hand utilizes purely**_ _celestial energy_ _ **, which in turn originated from the**_ _Dragons_ _ **."**_

"Whoa. Okay," Sakura replied, while at the same time studying Tama's form intently for a moment. "Since you know so much about this, does that mean the chak- I mean- _energy_ that _you_ use isn't the normal one that we use either?"

She remembered asking this to Naruto before. Apparently the little white fox was teaching the boy how to use her brand of 'chakra' as opposed to their normal ones. While the exact methods as to how she was doing this wasn't clear, Sakura suspected that it might have something to do with the blond being exposed to the spirit fox's presence in some way.

In response, Tama gave the kunoichi an affirmative nod, _**"Yes. The spirits that originate from the world that I come from are able to manipulate**_ _Seishin (Spirit)_ _ **, which utilizes**_ _ethereal energy_ _ **\- an incorporeal force with unique properties that exists between spaces, and allows me to defy the laws of the physical world to a certain extent. It also allows me to physically change my form to whatever I please and interact with the astral plain."**_ The fox then gave the kids a smile. _**"The only problem is that while I can recover from damages done to me by other beings using different energies, any creatures utilizing ethereal energy in some way can harm me… and I won't be able to recover as quickly."**_

Naruto then thought about it for a moment, "So then… the chakra that Suiro and Aiya use… and the one you're teaching me to use… it's the same as yours?" When he saw the fox nod on over the ridge of his hairline, the blond smiled. "Huh. That's interesting."

"Are there any other energies that you know about?" Sasuke asked inquisitively. "And if so, what are the differences between them?"

Tama wagged her tail while a small smile stretched across her little snout. _**"Heh. Tough question. Though I have encountered a few of them in the past, I have innate knowledge of most of them.**_ _Chakra_ _ **manipulates matter and space through balance of spiritual, physical, and natural energies, which combine to create a reaction.**_ _Chi_ _ **is a very flexible and malleable power stemming from a person's self-control, which gives the user the capability of sensing disturbances across the universe, as well as manipulating all aspects of the physical and meta-physical world.**_ _Seishin_ _ **is the energy used by spirits and beings of divine origin, and allows them to cross and manipulate matter in different dimensions.**_ _Mantra_ _ **requires the distillation of spiritual enlightenment in order to draw power from one's own soul.**_ _Mana_ _**uses magical energies to supply its users with the ability to bend the laws of creation.**_ _ **And**_ _Hakka_ _**is the supernatural energy that gives power to cursed beings and demons."**_

The influx of information had Sakura shake her head in disbelief, "So many. Wow…"

"I'm not surprised. The universe is a pretty big place," Naruto exclaimed, while at the same time smiling across at his pink-haired teammate. "That's putting it mildly though. We haven't even explored one portion of it yet."

" _ **Take your time. I guarantee it'll be a lot of fun,"**_ Tama concluded, while at the same time resting her head on her paws and closing her eyes.

Their little talk with Tamamo no Mae over the various forces making up their universes left Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke feeling both excited and nerve-rattled at the scope of it all. Having only caught a small glimpse of what else was potentially hiding out there in the world- outside of their borders and their lands- the trio knew that they had so much more to learn about and experience before they could even think about tackling any of these other elements head-on. Considering there were whole societies across the sea that bent the aspects of their world in many different ways, the youngsters worked out on the spot that they had a lot more training to prepare for.

This being the most active day he'd had in a while, Sasuke broke off from the team early and went straight home, stating that he would see them on the bridge the next day. The Uchiha's early departure allowed Naruto and Sakura a comfortable, quiet stroll across the rest of the village, in which the pair enjoyed one another's company through the park and the side-streets. When they eventually happened upon the kunoichi's house, the girl wished her delinquent crush a prompt goodnight before dismissing herself in her normal, bashful manner.

When Naruto found his way home a short while later and ended up strolling up the stairs to his apartment, he then stopped short when, much to his surprise, he noticed that he had company.

Standing just outside his door on opposite sides of the walkway, Naruto saw Samui calmly leaning against the wall next to the entrance of his apartment, Kurotsuchi sitting against the railings and looking across at the blonde girl with a rather provocative expression in play, and- surprisingly enough- Temari standing at the very end of the path, with her hands on her hips and her eyes set on the floor. The way that all three Genin had spread themselves out in the limited space available formed a small triangle, in which all of them were facing each other appropriately with all flanks covered.

Furthermore, Tayuya, who had noticed the trio of girls waiting outside her room, was also standing in the doorway and looking between her visitors in a perplexed manner. Since she was still dressed in the uniform that she'd gone out in- spandex shorts and oversized varsity jacket- it was clear to everyone there that the redhead had just recently returned to her flat, only to then leave the comforts of her home to investigate the unexpected gathering happening nearby.

Needless to say, it was a rather perplexing sight.

Almost at once, the three girls noticed Naruto standing at the stairs. The moment their eyes landed on him, the delinquent was instantly put under the spotlight.

"Oh… umm… hey there," Naruto greeted- obviously not knowing who to address first as he cautiously made his way over to them. When he got within a few paces of the quadrilateral formed by all parties present, the youngster looked between the kunoichi in a non-confrontational, diplomatic manner. "Wow. So many people standing outside my place. Is… someone throwing a party that I don't know about?"

"Could've fooled me, shithead," Tayuya spoke up. An amused smile then crossed her face as she folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe to their apartment, all the while she watched as Naruto drank in the presence of his three foreign guests. "I only just got back after having an early dinner with my teammates. Just as I was about to head down to the hot springs for a dip, I find _these two_ chicks standing out here and glaring at each other." She then gestured to both Samui and Kurotsuchi respectively, before then jabbing her thumb back at the surprised Temari. "Sandy-locks rocked up a couple minutes later. Apparently the three of them wanted to see you."

"Me?" Naruto asked, while momentarily and unintelligently pointing at his chest. An amused chuckle then escaped him as he reached up to scratch his head, "Umm… okay. Though I probably should've guessed that this was the case." When his eyes traced over the girls from both _Iwagakure_ and _Sunagakure_ , she saw the former blush a little and glance away momentarily, while the fan user puffed her chest out bravely.

Samui, being the most composed out of the three of them, simply broke out a warm smile when she saw Naruto look in her direction. "It seems that you are quite the popular guy around here, Naruto-kun." She then tilted her head at him in a coy manner. "Would you care to explain to me the reason why?"

The blond gave a small shrug while smiling back at the girl, "Honestly, I'm not really sure myself. Most of the people I run into around the village are either scared of me or avoid me altogether. That's not even counting the people that hate me… though I guess that has more to do with my reputation than anything else." Naruto then switched his attention toward Kurotsuchi. "How about you? Do you think I'm scary?"

Stiffening up momentarily at being addressed, the normally tomboyish girl with black hair stuttered a little before answering, "N-No. Not really. I mean, I can think of a bunch of other things to call you, but certainly not scary." She then stopped abruptly and beamed back at the Konoha Genin as he gazed back at her. Though on the outside she looked like she was holding it together, on the inside she was a bubbling mess. _"More like handsome… and cute…"_

"Heh. Glad to hear that," Naruto said clearly. After feeling Tama hop off of him and watching her saunter over to their front door, the boy in the scarf and jacket took a couple steps forward while smiling pleasantly at the girls. With Tayuya watching in amusement from the door, the boy proceeded to address the current matter at hand. "So. What can I do for you lovely ladies tonight?"

He asked this because the sky was starting to get dark, with only the telltale orange glow of the sun in the distance being the only slivering traces of evening that remained. It only seemed like a couple of hours ago that Naruto remembered getting up to start the day. But everything moved around them so fast that now it was coming close to calling it.

This told him that even after his intense battle with Ryofu, he still had tons of energy to burn. He was eager to go out and do something, and maybe these girls wanted to as well.

Temari, being the first to respond to the question, marched forward ahead of Kurotsuchi and Samui, and stood before the spiky haired blond with her head up and posture straight. From her position, it was easy to tell that she was slightly taller than the whiskered-youngster, and though this would've been peculiar or odd in other circumstances, in here she was perfectly fine with it.

She was slightly older than him after all, but not above being humble.

"I… just wanted to say thanks… for saving me back in the ring," Temari said, all the while trying to keep her words and face straight. "If you hadn't jumped in and stopped Ryofu from attacking me… I probably wouldn't be standing here right now." Most likely she would've ended up in hospital. But that was a 'what-if' scenario for another time.

Naruto appeared a bit surprised at this, but answered appropriately nonetheless, "Oh. Well… you're welcome, I guess." He then rubbed the back of his neck in an awkward manner. "But you don't really need to thank me for that. I just did what any normal person would've done in that situation."

The Suna girl shrug, "True. Yet you were the only one in the stadium that had the right sense to jump in and take action. Even the Chunin who was assigned to referee the fight didn't manage to intervene in time… and he was literally standing a few feet away from me when that happened," Temari stated firmly, while simultaneously looking the boy square in the eyes. Though she appeared stern and serious on the outside, from the look on her face it was clear that she was struggling to maintain a disposition of poise and assertiveness. She was clearly quite shaken up on the inside… and a little nervous, though she had no inclination as to why. "I'm guessing it was the fact that I was a Sand ninja and he was a Leaf ninja that he took so long to respond. He probably just stood back to watch me get taken out…"

Easily picking up on the tone of scorn in her voice and expression when she said this, the blond youngster gave Temari a warm smile and countered tactfully, "Or maybe it was because that girl was moving so fast that even he wasn't able to keep up with her. I mean… you saw the way she moved yourself. That girl was terrifyingly fast, to an absurd degree."

Taking the boy's words into consideration, Temari gave a momentary nod of understanding. After recalling the memory of the boy's battle with the hidden mist Genin, she promptly looked back at the young man. "Even so… you were able to take her on head-to-head without receiving much damage… while the rest of us ended up being picked apart by her one after the other," Temari responded. In that moment, as images of the Konoha Genin battling Ryofu flashed through her head and she remembered him standing boldly before her at her defense, the girl felt a light warmth reach her cheeks as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Honestly… I thought what you did was pretty incredible. The way that you fought, the way that you hit, and the way you countered all of her attempts to impair your movements… I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." It was like he was some sort of Super Genin- a boy who was easily on par with his village's regular Jonin.

That was a rare gem to find indeed and, considering how cool and calm Naruto had looked while doing all of that, Temari couldn't help but feel invigorated by his actions. It was so- dare she say- _attractive_?

Visibly flattered by the foreign girl's remarks, Naruto reciprocated the kunoichi's kind words with a small grin and a somewhat nervous laugh. Obviously the jinchuriki was more used to dealing out compliments to other people rather than receiving them, since he'd always been the one aiming to get onto people's good sides. Since he'd had so much practice dealing with individuals who were terrified of him, hated his guts, or didn't want to have anything to do with him for so many years- lifting people's spirits, making them feel good about themselves, and starting up pleasant conversations had become something of a second nature to him.

When it came to receiving praise however, Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit taken aback and giddy on the inside. He would either brush off the compliments or accept them arrogantly as a joke. Yet in this scenario the would-be jinchuriki felt that it was in his best interests to be a little more receptive to commendations, especially when they were coming from a very lovely looking older girl from another hidden village.

"Well… I have been known to do some pretty surprising things over the years," Naruto answered, at the same time giving the girl a charming wink. "If you stick around long enough, maybe you'll get the chance to see some more. I promise you won't be disappointed by what I have to show."

His reply had the nearby Tayuya snicker and calmly listening Samui smile. At the same time, Kurotsuchi was unable to stop herself from puffing her cheeks out in a very cute and jealous manner.

As for Temari, the blonde's dashing grin and semi-proud response, caused a light flutter to go through her chest. The fact that he was right up in front of her and bombarding her with that irresistible smile of his helped in causing the kunoichi to squirm a bit on the inside.

However, just as she felt herself getting more drawn in to his aura, the kunoichi suddenly became self-aware again and quickly shook her head.

Clearing her throat, Temari took on a bit of an embarrassed look and promptly pointed down at the handsome youngster, "D-Don't get any wild ideas though! You saving me and me thanking you for it doesn't make us friends! You're still a shinobi from _Konohagakure_ … and I'm still a kunoichi from _Sunagakure_ -" A light scoff from the side suddenly cut her off.

"Is it really that big of an issue?" Samui suddenly chimed in, causing Temari, Naruto and the others to glance across at the cool blonde still leaning against the wall. The Genin in question then gave a shrug to all those looking in her direction and continued, "I'm from _Kumogakure,_ and Naruto-kun and I are still close friends." She then smirked across at the now bewildered Temari after she said this. "I'm not going to let the fact that we come from two different villages stop me from getting what I want. And right now I want to be with Naruto-kun."

Temari scowled at the girl before barking at her, "No one asked you for your opinion! Alright? So butt out!" Not getting a single reaction from the kunoichi, the blushing Suna sibling swung her gaze back towards the delinquent and stepped towards him. "Anyway… since you pretty much went to second base with me right before your fight with Ryofu and didn't even ask for my permission, you're going to have to take responsibility!"

"Responsibility?" Naruto blinked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

Tayuya cocked an eyebrow at the _Sunagakure_ kunoichi, "Wow… you are just… really bad at this, aren't you, sis? Asking a boy out on a date?" She then laughed when she saw the girl freeze up at her statement. "I bet you haven't had much practice back in your home village. Is it because you scare all the boys away, because you're so aggressive and forward?"

"My thoughts exactly," Samui also added from the sidelines.

Her golden hair bristling with annoyance and embarrassment, Temari spun towards the pair and shouted at the other Genin, "Shut up! You two stay out of this!" Though she attempted to come off as scary, because her face was as red as a tomato's by this point, all Tayuya and Samui ended up doing was staring back at her with their own respective smug expressions. "I'm having a hard enough time talking to this guy with you two standing there and making comments every five fucking seconds!" Kurotsuchi meanwhile, seeing an opportunity, quietly snuck around the walkway to stand beside Naruto, whom quickly took notice of the Iwa girl with her hands behind her back and her eyes down. "He owes me… and I owe him! So that means **_he_** owes **_me_** dinner!"

Doing the math in her head, Samui smirked, "Doesn't that technically make you even?"

"Logic doesn't work that way," the flute player said while shaking her head. Honestly, watching this conversation unfold was actually proving to be quite the entertaining side-show.

"It doesn't matter!" Temari growled, stomping her foot in a hilarious gesture of stubbornness before turning her glare back to Naruto. "Point is, this kid owes me a lot more than I owe him… even if he did jump into that match to rescue me. That means he's going to have to make up for it." She then noticed Kurotsuchi standing right up next to the blond and frowned at her. "And I don't need anybody else interrupting us! Especially _you_ , you sneak!"

Straightening up, the tomboy from the hidden stone village scowled back at the kunoichi and placed her fists on her hips. "Hey! You're not the only one who has plans with whiskers over here. We agreed yesterday that the two of us would meet up and hang out with each other after the demonstration… and that's exactly what we're going to do." She then turned to Naruto and mustered up the confidence to smile. "Right?"

Just as Temari's jaw dropped slightly at Kurotsuchi's statement, Samui then felt it best to intervene at this point. "Hold on. I also have some personal matters I wish to discuss with Naruto-kun face-to-face." The girl with the Bob-cut approached the jinchuriki and made her stance at the edge of the circle that'd been formed. "Considering the level of our relationship, I believe that my time with him is as equally important as yours." She then faced the delinquent in question and beamed at him. "So, Naruto-kun? What are you going to do about this?"

Feeling himself getting put under the spotlight, especially when he saw Samui, Kurotsuchi, and Temari now staring at him, the now somewhat alarmed Konoha Genin looked between the three in a hurried fashion. After which he then turned to Tayuya, whom he saw was still watching him from the doorway, was grinning in amusement and had her arms still crossed.

"Yeah, shithead? What _ARE_ you going to do?" she asked in a cheeky manner, while also holding out her arm and tapping the metaphorical watch on her wrist. "Hurry. Better make a decision."

Naruto, realizing that he had several matters to deal at once, then cracked a smile as he looked back at his roommate. As much as she liked teasing him, there was always one thing she kept on forgetting- and that he was a crafty bastard. "Don't worry. I've already made one." Stepping back slightly, the boy then brought his hands together and formed the trademark cross-fingered hand seal. A quick burst of chakra and a series of white puffs of smoke exploded around him, which momentarily blocked the girls' view of him. When a stiff breeze blew the mist away, the group was surprised to see four Narutos standing in place. As soon as the smoke dispersed, the Naruto in the middle grinned, "With this technique, I should be able to divide up my time between you girls easily."

Seeing the boy utilize the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ (Shadow Clone Technique) to produce exact copies of himself, Samui's expression brightened somewhat, "Perfect." The Kumo Genin then happily sauntered forward and, picking the Naruto doppelganger on the left, wrapped her arms around his and promptly began dragging him away. "Let's not waste any more of this evening. You and I are going out for dinner. My treat."

"Okay," the Naruto clone chuckled as he was pulled quite forcibly- but not too forcibly- down the walkway, "Where would you like to go, Samui-chan?"

"Anywhere," Samui chirped in her usual calm voice, punctuated by her unchanging expression. "Though personally… I think I would like to try out some Kiri-style seafood."

"Well, you're in luck. Because I know the perfect place to get some," the Naruto clone stated confidently.

She completely ignored the startled looks on the other kunoichi's faces as she pretty much disappeared down the steps with her clone. Clearly she wanted to have her alone time with Naruto more than anything else, which was why she and the blond left in such a hurry. This left Temari, Kurotsuchi and Tayuya standing in place, and staring at the two remaining Narutos, both of whom shrugged at one another before turning back to the girls who remained.

"If there is one thing I know how to do well, it's how to show someone a good time. Especially a girl," Naruto said, while at the same time holding out his hand towards Temari in a very gentlemanly manner. Though his choice of clothing made him look a bit like a thug, the fact that he said it in this way gave him his own air of charm. "Would a walk and a barbeque dinner be enough to square off my debt?"

Considering the boy's hand for a moment, the Suna kunoichi inhaled sharply before promptly glaring back at him. "F-Fine. But _you're_ paying," Temari stated outright, before at the same time brushing past the delinquent, who slowly lowered his hand from his chivalrous gesture.

"Heh. Fair enough," Naruto said, before then discreetly exchanging cash with the clone next to him. He then joined the angry Sand ninja and began walking with her down the walkway.

Still keeping her chin up high in her typical, tough manner, the golden haired kunoichi glanced across at the blond next to her and spoke. "My name is Temari, by the way. In case you forgot."

"Naruto. And no, I didn't forget," the clone replied as they then hit the same stairs that Samui had retreated down with her date. "It's really nice to meet you."

Temari then spared a momentarily small smile, "Likewise."

After the shadow clone left with the flustered and angry Suna Genin in tow, this left only four individuals left outside the apartment. Before the pair were completely out of sight, one of the jinchuriki's copies sprinted over to the end of the walkway by the apartment and hopped up onto the railing. Upon which he then turned to Kurotsuchi and beckoned her over with a grin.

"Come on. If you and I are going to hit the town as well, I may as well show you the best parts of it. Last one to the Hokage Monument pays for tea!" he said in a gutsy voice.

Snapping out of her perplexed daze, the raven haired girl from _Iwagakure_ put on a big smirk of her own as she rushed over to join the boy on top of the barrier. "Oh? So that's how you want to play it? Well, I'll be damned if I'm going to let a damn shadow clone beat me in a foot race!" She then grinned across at the Naruto that was challenging her. "Let's raise the stakes a little. Loser also has to buy the winner ice cream at the end of the night."

"You're on," the Naruto clone said, a split second before both he and Kurotsuchi sprang off of the walkway and disappeared over the neighboring rooftop.

The entire sight had an observing Tayuya shake her head, as she then saw the remaining blond walk over to her. "Since when did you become such a playboy, huh?" the flute player asked when she saw the whiskered youngster stop next to her- allowing her to look him over properly. "I mean… I always knew you were a bit of a fox. But going after four girls at once… and at the same time? Man. That's some hax-level bullshit, right there."

"I don't know what to tell yah. I guess I'm just really, really, _really_ lucky these days," Naruto chuckled, at the same time turning his gaze out towards the village where his doppelgangers had gone. "All my life I'd been struggling to get people to notice me and acknowledge my existence. But then after one fight in front of a small crowd… and suddenly all these people start flocking towards me like I'm some kind of magnet. It's weird."

The most unusual part about all of this was that most of the people who were flocking to him were all girls. As crazy as it was, the blond could sort of understand how a situation like this could've unfolded. He'd known Tayuya for most of his young life and the two of them were damn near inseparable, especially since the pair of them lived in the same apartment under confined conditions. He'd also met Samui a few months ago outside of the village while he'd been out on a personal errand, and both of them had been writing to each other ever since. Considering how close he was to these two girls, it was easy to assume that both of them were his girlfriends.

Naruto also knew that Sakura, Kurumi, and Hinata also had serious crushes on him, and that all three of them were trying in their own little ways to try and weave their way into his inner circle. The former was working hard to become strong enough to fight alongside him and earn his affections, while the latter approached their interactions in a very calm, passive, and shy manner.

Despite acting tough and stubborn around other people, the female Hyuuga clearly had a very soft spot for the delinquent, to the point that she would transform into a bumbling mess anytime she was near him.

As for Kurotsuchi and Temari, they were a completely new case for Naruto. Not only had he just met the two of them on different days and during different situations, much like Samui they also came from separate villages. Though he'd managed to strike a very likable chord with the kunoichi from _Iwagakure_ \- if her bashful responses to his compliments and timid expressions were anything to go by- the other one was being very passive-aggressive when it came to articulating her feelings. After managing to save her from a beat down against a very dangerous opponent during the mock battle, he'd obviously managed to sway her quite a bit.

It was also clear that Temari wasn't used to asking boys out that she liked… nor was she used to admitting to actually liking someone. The reasons why were a bit lost on Naruto, but he assumed it had something to do with her history, which he was likely going to find out later.

"Maybe I'm just more popular than I realized," Naruto suggested with a shrug.

"Or… maybe it's because the girls think you're a really nice guy, Naruto-kun."

Hearing the sudden change in tone from the redhead, the blond slowly turned to see what was going on. Because his back had been turned to her, the delinquent had been too distracted to notice Tayuya quietly walk over, and only realized that she was standing right beside him when she suddenly leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. The gesture caused Naruto to freeze up for a moment, as he felt the girl remain in place for a moment before stepping away.

With her hands held timidly behind her back, her posture slouched over, and expression softened, the once tomboyish and tough-looking kunoichi had taken on a much more feminine appeal. Her visage was only accentuated when she stepped into the light coming out from their doorway and Naruto saw the bright blush she had on her cheeks.

"That… and you're pretty good-looking too," Tayuya said, her voice sincere and lacking its usual roughness. Swaying on the spot when she saw the blond looking down at her, the kunoichi giggled. "In my opinion, anyway."

Blinking a couple of times in surprise, Naruto then broke out one of his trademark grins. "Thanks, Tayuya-chan. I… think the same way about you." Realizing He then stepped towards her with one hand in his pocket and the other hanging at his side. "Though I know I've said this to you many times before, but I'm really glad that I ran into you when I did. You… and Tama-chan… both of you have become such a big part of my life."

"Yeah," Tayuya replied with a soft smile and a warm glow in her cheeks. As she rocked back and forth on her toes, the kunoichi found herself gazing into her friend's eyes and feeling herself lost on a cloud of contentment. "I can't even imagine where I would be right now if I hadn't met you. You rescued me, gave me food, found me a home… and helped me start a new life… and that's something I will never, _ever_ forget… for as long as I live." After a few more moments of smiling at her roommate and receiving his gaze in kind, the redhead lifted a hand, and playfully punched him in the arm. "But let's not get too sappy about this. After all, you and I are better than those other normies and morons living in this village."

Naruto laughed at this and nodded, "Of course. But… that doesn't mean we can't act like normal people every once in a while." When he stepped up to the girl, he leaned forward and gently rested his cheek against the side of her head, while at the same time wrapping an arm around her. He felt the girl stiffen slightly and- even without looking at her- he could tell her face was turning red. "Is that okay with you?"

Feeling the boy's hand wrapped around her head and feeling his chest heave against her, the blushing Tayuya smiled warmly before leaning into his shoulder. "Yeah. It is." Since he was only slightly taller than her, it made the pair embrace equal in both height and affection. The redhead then snickered as she brought her own hands up and laid them against the boy's chest, "You're an idiot… but you're _my_ idiot… and always will be."

After hearing her say this, Naruto grinned broadly, "And you'll always be my girl, Tay-chan." He then took on a bit of a concerned gaze and glanced across at the girl leaning against him and nuzzling into his scarf. "So… umm… about Samui … and the other girls. A-Are you alright with them? Because if you're jealous in any way-"

Tayuya shook her head, at the same time pulling back so that she could look the delinquent right in the eyes. "You and I grew up together… so I know how hard it's been for us to make friends. You're a great guy, Naruto-kun… and after all these years a lot of other girls are starting to see that too. Though I will admit I am a little bit jealous… I honestly wouldn't mind sharing you with them, so long as you see me as your _first_." She then grinned up at him when she saw him blink in surprise. "Is that alright?"

"Uhh… y-yeah! Of course!" Naruto exclaimed with a grin. "That's probably the most awesome thing anyone has ever said to me."

The redhead then shrugged, "Well… I am pretty awesome. True." After exchanging amused looks with the boy, Tayuya then blushed a little as she then looked down. "To be perfectly truthful with you though… I… um… also think Samui is quite cute as well… even though she's another girl. So I can see why you're so taken with her."

"Heh. Now who's thinking like a player," Naruto remarked, which earned him a playful jab to the stomach from the girl he still had his arm wrapped around. "Ow. Okay. Okay. Sorry."

Her cheeks still red, Tayuya then put on a sly smile and, creeping her fingers up his chest, gently poked the boy through his jacket. "Since I'm letting this whole thing with you and the girls carry on… how about you and I sneak into the hot springs together? Have a bit of a soak?" The look also reflected in her eyes was one of mischief and naughtiness, which more or less illustrated her intent.

Sensing the girl's ulterior motives, Naruto smirked. "Do you think I'm going to say no?" When he saw Tayuya shake her head, the delinquent chuckled. "Alright. Let's go."

The pair then quietly gathered up their things from the room and quickly snuck down to the baths for a dip together. Things from there quickly settled down and, under the night sky, both Naruto and Tayuya- the _Gold and Red Foxes of Konohagakure_ \- were able to enjoy a nice relaxing stretch of alone time together. Suiro was kind enough to excuse both of them and stayed on one side of the divider.

While this was probably not the first foray Naruto had had in the hot springs with another girl, it was certainly the first time he had been willingly invited without stumbling upon them by accident. His time with Tayuya just relaxing in the hot water together made him almost forget about the fact that he was actually taking part in four separate dates with four interesting girls at the exact same time.

The results of each one wouldn't be revealed to him until later in the morning…

OOO

(That night)

(Sasuke's Home)

For Mikoto Uchiha, the day had been a very, very long practice in diplomacy for her. The past few hours, which seemed to have gone by at a snail's pace for her, was just a lump sum of procedures, custom, debates and discussions, with all of it being related to the big Chunin Exams that were coming up. The mock tournament over in the stadium had perhaps been the most entertaining part of her day, in which she and the delegates were able to witness several very extraordinary events.

Aside from getting a rather big insight into the strengths of the Genin from each of the five great villages that would be competing, they were also able to get a hint as to who the major players would be. Mikoto was actually pleased to see that her village was one of them and that _Kirigakure_ was the second.

After all was said and done, and the ambassadors were escorted safely back to their respective embassies, the Fifth Hokage was allowed a moment to catch her breath and stew over everything that'd been brought up over the day. When she got fed up of sitting in her office and staring at her seemingly never-ending pile of paperwork pushed over to one side, the raven haired Uchiha Clan leader decided to return home.

The moment she walked in through the door, she found Sasuke asleep in his room with a couple of scrolls surrounding him. This told the mother that her son had come straight home and went straight into some studying, upon which he then passed out from exhaustion.

Seeing him sprawled out on top of the sheets while still dressed in his outdoor clothes put a warm smile on Mikoto's face, as she saw just how hard her son was working to become a great ninja. Though his battle in the stadium had yielded a rather unfavorable outcome on his end, she knew right away that her boy was determined to make up for that loss, and has thus started thinking about other avenues of training. This explained why he had so many of their clan's more advanced scrolls scattered around his room.

Quietly moving into his room to take off the papers on his bed and cover him with his blanket, Mikoto then headed to her room. After getting out of her ANBU uniform and Hokage robe, and pulling on an indoor kimono, the beguiling young woman then headed to the kitchen for a late dinner and a coffee.

Sitting down at the table with a plate of rice and sardines, the woman son found herself picking at the plate with her chopsticks.

Though the start of the day had been great and the rest of it had been a bit of a bore, Mikoto was unable to stop herself from letting her mind wander and allowing memories of days long past from flooding into her head. Looking up and out through her dining room's window and up into the night sky, the woman inhaled deeply, before exhaling shakily, as she was hit by a slow and unnerving realization.

" _Everything that Fuma Kotaro predicted was going to happen has happened…"_ Mikoto thought, her hand clenching nervously around her chopsticks. "Everything…"

No matter how much she tried to ignore it, her battle with the most powerful kunoichi in history had left its mark on her, as well as everybody else that'd been involved in that battle. Though all of them had been able to walk away from that battle in one piece and with a sizable reward for its completion, what their opponent imparted with them on that day wasn't just a battle of a lifetime, but a spine-chilling divination of the future that would spell the end- not only for the _Elemental Nations_ \- but for the entire world.

As unbelievable and implausible as the woman's words had been, it'd become clear to the Uchiha matriarch that all of the events that Kotaro stated would transpire had come to pass.

The Kyuubi's attack on _Konohagakure_ , the attempted massacre of the Uchiha Clan by her older son, the Chunin Exams, and the appearance of foreign powers from other lands… all of these had taken place exactly as she had foreseen.

There was no way Mikoto could doubt any of this, nor could she forget the events that took place on that day leading up to her learning about the time-shaking prophecy. As she stared out her window and gazed up at the moon, her mind ended up being swept away and taken back to that battle over thirteen years ago…

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

 _(Two years before the Third Great Shinobi War)_

Deep in the heart of a massive peninsula that was easily the size of Kawa no Kuni (Land of Rivers), a landmass that could no longer be found on any map in the present, and resting between the great lands of _**Tsuchi no Kuni**_ (Land of Earth) and _**Kaminari no Kuni**_ (Land of Lightning), an epic battle the likes of which no one has ever seen was currently raging. Having already been carrying on for nine days straight without end, the fight between the chosen protectors of the continent and its current threat had clearly taken its toll on the landscape and the coasts surrounding the country.

Mountains had been felled, valleys had been reduced to nothing but smoldering craters, and entire forests of evergreens that once stretched across the land from one horizon to the next had been completely levelled. It was like a cataclysmic disaster of unheard proportions had swooped in from the heavens and carpet-bombed every square inch of land in sight.

The comparison was a bit of an understatement of course. After all, if one was to look down at the planet from orbit over the Elemental Nations, you'd clearly be able to see a hurricane-like storm system covering the entire northern area of the continent. On this basis, you could easily assume the battle now raging on was comparable to a super natural disaster, which was now changing the very face of the planet's surface.

Explosions ripped across the now desert-reduced peninsula for several kilometers- the dome-shaped blasts going up one after the other as they chased after a lone target.

After the explosions tore a trench the size of the Grand Canyon through across the landscape and the last one detonated with much greater force, the fire generated from the blast was suddenly picked up by a massive tornado that started out of nowhere. The vortex of flames roared into the sky as more of the ground was decimated by the anomaly, which detonated several seconds later and sent flames and smoke ripping out in all directions.

Rubble the size of apartment buildings cascaded from the sky and smashed into the barren wasteland, adding further damage to the battlefield. When the clouds eventually lifted from the site of the final blast, they revealed a figure with white hair, wearing a loose, purple kimono that exposed a lot of cleavage, and wielding a massive Fuma Shuriken in her hand, floating in the sky.

Appearing completely unscathed despite the blasts that were equivalent to several tailed beast bombs going off one after the other, the airborne, provocatively dressed kunoichi gave a sinister smile as she held her place- seemingly standing on thin air with little to no effort. When she saw the dust settle over the battle zone, she quickly spotted the long line of craters- each one deeper than a gorge- snaking their way across the battered countryside for roughly twenty kilometers in front of her.

As a bolt of lightning shot down from the storm raging overhead and streaked past her elegant form, lighting up her ghostly white hair, the smirking figure revealed herself to be none other than Fuma Kotaro.

"Ooh. Nice light show," the kunoichi chirped, her large, four-bladed weapon hanging lazily at her side as a light breeze from above licked at her loosely worn clothing. "But if you guys think you can take me out with a combined attack, you're going to have to try a little bit harder than **that**."

At that moment, the woman spotted a glint from the wall of clouds still hanging over the ground below, a split second before a massive fireball shot through it and rocketed towards her at blinding speed. Spotting the attack and responding to it with a calm smile, the woman held her free hand out towards the approaching fireball and caught it, which caused the attack to detonate and her body to get swallowed up by the explosion. A blinding flash filled the sky as fire shot out in all directions, before dissipating moments later to reveal Kotaro still hovering in place, and looking completely unharmed.

When she looked down to where the attack had come from, she saw one of her opponents- Jiraiya of the Sannin- assumed in his imperfect Sage Mode state- with The Two Great Sage Toads Fukasaka and Shima perched on his shoulders, glaring up at her.

Judging from their bloodied and battered states, the trio were not in good shape, even after firing off such an impressive fire technique.

Immediately upon spotting the Toad Safe crouching in her crosshairs a few hundred meters below, Kotaro allowed her grin to widen maliciously. "You scorched my fingernails." Upon which she then promptly raised her arm, extended her hand, and produced a vortex of visible, high-pressure wind around her limb. _**"Hokoton: Kami no Ha."**_ (Direction Release: Blade of the Gods)

Jiraiya, Fukasaka and Shima's eyes widened when they saw a literal tornado form around the woman's arm, which began swirling the clouds in the sky above her. "Oh, fuck that!" the Sannin shouted, before using all of the strength he could muster to get the hell out of the path of that attack. The moment he began leaping across the battlefield was the same time the kunoichi floating in the sky cocked back her wind enveloped arm and took aim.

Immediately after her limb was loaded, Kotaro chopped it towards the spot where Jiraiya had been standing. As a result, the entire length of the tornado she'd formed slammed horizontally into the ground like it was an axe, which generated a wind-based explosion so powerful it was almost like a meteorite had just slammed into the countryside. The chasm didn't just get split even wider, by the shockwave that rippled out from the point of impact pulverized the land for several kilometers. The surface of the battlefield was literally fractured, as entire plates of ground were sent jutting or rolling out of place.

Jiraiya, who ended up getting caught up in the tidal wave of dust, was sent flying and screaming through the air like a ragdoll.

"Jiraiya-chan! Hold on!" Fukasaka shouted, with the frog sage throwing out his tongue, catching hold of a large piece of ground, and pulling them towards it. Moments later the trio got swallowed up by the cloud of debris and vanished from sight.

Chuckling at the devastation she had brought to the battlefield, Kotaro then brought back her hand and prepared to give chase, only to leap back in the air sharply when a barrage of arrows flew past her. Eyes snapping towards the horizon, the woman quickly spotted a bird-like creature flying through the sky a considerable distance away. When she focused on it, she saw that the winged beast was a large hawk summon, and that the avian had none other than a battle-damaged Mikoto Uchiha riding atop of it.

Her bow drawn and loaded with arrows, the kunoichi in the ANBU uniform and with blood dribbling down her bruised face drew back her arm and fired off another shot. Her arms then became a blur of limbs as she began speed-loading arrows into her bow and fired them at the airborne Kotaro- her Sharingan at full glare and helping her to guide each shot while her hawk summon executed a tight turn through the air.

Expression remaining serious, Kotaro speedily dodged the first few arrows by moving hastily from side to side, before slapping away the next wave and pulverizing them with a gust of wind from her hand. "Heh. So you want to have a play too, huh?" the kunoichi asked calmly, while at the same time drawing back her Fuma Shuriken and taking aim. "Alright then. You're on." With a grin forming, the white-haired beauty then pitched the enormous, person-sized weapon towards the horizon and quickly flew through hand seals. _**"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."**_ (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)

The instant her enormous windmill blade was loosed, the black weapon shimmered midflight, before suddenly multiplying into a thousand copies of itself. Fuma Shuriken then filled the sky as they arced through the air and flew towards the distant Mikoto. Several of the blades cut through the woman's arrows with ease, while a couple more were knocked off course. However, due to the sheer quantity that was produced in that instant, one or two lost weapons was not going to stop the wall of death from cutting through their target.

Eyes widening, Mikoto then dropped down low on her hawk's back, which prompted the bird to dive out of the sky and begin avoiding the massive weapons. While the kunoichi managed to deflect a few with the tantō from her back, the amount of blades flying at her was just too much to deal with and she quickly retreated. Eventually after a few hasty barrel rolls and maneuvers, her hawk wound up getting hit by a blade, which cut into its chest and caused it to disappear in a puff of smoke, and sent the Uchiha plummeting from the sky through a rain of giant shuriken.

After knocking the hawk out of commission, Kotaro then drew back her arm for another technique to shoot Mikoto out of the air as well, only to have her eyes snap behind her when a series of golden chains suddenly flew up at her from below. Enveloping her in the blink of an eye, the five sets of chains snapped around her and locked her arms at her sides, before the kunoichi was promptly yanked out of the sky and brought down to the battlefield far below.

Kushina Uzumaki, whose Jonin vest and clothes were completely tattered from her battle, gave a loud yell as she forcibly pulled the powerful woman from her high-altitude position and attempted to slam her into the ground. Like a whip, she dragged the chains with her hands across the sky, smashing Kotaro through a plateau and pulverizing it, before then sending her into the floor. However, the moment the woman's body hit the ground, the white-haired antagonist had managed to land on her feet. This meant that when Kushina tried to drag her across the landscape, Kotaro managed to stop her by firmly digging her heels into the floor.

Despite being sent through a small mountain, the Fuma leader didn't have a single scratch on her, and simply glared across at the enraged Kushina with an unperturbed look in play.

"Chains?" Kotaro asked, at the same time watching the redhead snarl as she attempted to hold her in place. Feeling the woman struggle to hold her in place, the shuriken user then cracked a smile. "You're funny." She then looked behind her when she sensed two more people approaching her.

Diving at her from her blind spots, Kotaro saw a battle-damaged, topless Hanzo of the Salamander wielding his signature kusarigama and the bounty hunter Kakuzu- enveloped in his _**Jiongu**_ (Earth Grudge Fear) threads- leaping at her with the intend to take her out. Both bruised and bleeding men yelled as they struck out at her with their sickle and fist respectively, ready to cut the female down with a single blow from behind.

However, rather than fall into a panic, Kotaro did something completely unexpected. Completely ignoring Kushina's _**Kongo Fusa**_ (Adamantine Sealing Chains) wrapped around her like they weren't even there, the woman pivoted about, slid her feet across the floor, before suddenly generating a powerful gust of wind from her body that ripped apart the ground and sent a shockwave smashing into both Kakuzu and Hanzo.

Both men were caught completely by surprise when an invisible force equivalent to a hurricane compressed into a single stream of wind, smashed into them from the side and sent them hurtling away. Their bodies rag-dolled across the battlefield for a full kilometer, as a gully a hundred meters across was blown into the ground beside the still chain-bound Kotaro. The sight of the two men getting sent away so effortlessly caused the observing Kushina to gasp, as she was trying to hold Kotaro down with all of her strength.

Immediately after sending the two shinobi away and watching the land in front of her get torn apart by her vector blast, Kotaro then turned her attention to Kushina. With a growl of effort, the woman sent another compressed stream of vectors into the chains keeping her arms bound. When the golden links snapped and disintegrated from the force of her chakra blast, the woman then grabbed the snapped chains still attached to Kushina and, with a grunt, yanked the redhead off her feet.

The Uzumaki Jonin gave a startled cry as she was unexpectedly pulled through the air across the battlefield, whipping through the air, and then slammed into the ground several hundred meters away- where she punched a sizable crater into the floor. Still connected to the chains, a grinning Kotaro then gave another hard pull and yanked her opponent out of the floor. Throwing her through the air, she then once again slammed Kushina into the ground on the other side of her, driving her back-first into the floor and punching another divot into the floor.

Hearing her cry out in pain and seeing blood fly out of the kunoichi's mouth, the clearly amused Kotaro then gave her a manic grin, before gripping the golden chains still attached to her tightly. "Thanks for the line! ALLEY-OOP!" Kotaro called out, before spinning around and forcefully yanking the chains around with her. She ended up dragging Kushina across the ground at a tight angle, before throwing the woman towards the horizon.

Upon releasing her grip on the chakra chains she had hijacked from the woman, Kotaro watched with satisfaction as Kushina's body arced through the sky, before eventually impaling a distant mountain and causing the side to implode on itself from her impact with it.

As the dust from her little body-tossing session settled, the powerful kunoichi straightened up and inhaled deeply, only to then have her attention drawn over her shoulder when she sensed someone appear behind her. Reacting instantly, she spun about and caught a tri-corned kunai and the hand that was holding it between her fingers. When she followed the arm back up to its user, she saw a battle-scarred Minato- his clothing also tattered from a vicious beating- glaring back at her through his cool blue eyes.

Kotaro smirked when she locked the pair in stalemate. "The back again, Minato-kun? Really? You know full well that your _**Hiraishin**_ (Flying Thunder God) technique won't work against me. Even with your speed and Godlike reflexes, if your body can't keep up with the target, all that technique amounts to is a suicidal rush attack."

Still glaring at the woman as they continued to grapple with one another, Minato then smiled back at her. "True. In my current state, any attack I attempt on you using this jutsu won't work. If we have any hope of defeating you here and now, then all of us are going to have to pull out all the stops." Shutting his eyes for a moment as he allowed his body to become perfectly still, the man then concentrated. A couple seconds later, the Jonin then opened them again, revealing a pair of orange sclera had appeared around his eyes, the irises of which had turned yellow and the pupils square. "It's time I finally showed you my true power."

The kunoichi blinked the moment she saw the man's eyes change coloration, which then prompted her to grin. "Ah. Sage Mode? So you're resorting to using this technique again?"

"Not exactly," Minato replied, at the same time using his free hand to form a unique hand seal. Extending his thumb, as well as his trigger and pinky fingers, the blond Jonin concentrated before twisting his wrist.

Like turning the key in a lock, the man activated a series of black seals along his body, which quickly bled into view one after the other as his chakra started to climb at an alarming rate. Kotaro, still holding onto the man's knuckles, looked on in surprise as the black line patterns linked up and became surrounded by strange kanji. When the same patterns stretched up his cheeks, past his eyes, and then entered his hair to form streaks, the kunoichi then saw something amazing happen.

As golden bolts of lightning traveled up and down the Jonin's body, the slats in Minato's eyes vanished, causing his irises to turn full yellow. When a series of black magatama also formed along the collar of his ruined, his body also became enveloped in white flames, which cloaked him in something akin to a suit, only this one was of ethereal design. Furthermore, when the black lines formed into circle patterns on his back, four black orbs of chakra suddenly formed in the air behind him and hovered in place.

Jaw straining as he felt his chakra skyrocket inside his body, Minato then glared across at Kotaro to see her blink in bewilderment. _**"Fuin Kai: Giji-Rikudo Sennin Mode!"**_ (Seal Release: Pseudo-Six Paths Sage Mode)

Upon hearing the name of the technique and seeing it activate, causing Minato's body to transform drastically, a look of mixed excitement and mania quickly crossed Kotaro's face. Her grin widening into a more menacing one, the woman then barked in delight, "Yes! YES! IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?!"

Before she could get an answer, Minato suddenly snapped his hand out of the woman's grip and struck out at her. In a blur of movement too fast for most ninja to track, Kotaro then twirled on the spot and thrust a palm towards the blond man's head. Ducking the attack and feeling it graze his hair, the Jonin caught the woman's wrist before, with a lightning fast spin, swept the woman's legs out from under her with a kick. A loud boom rang out as the shockwave generated from the move sent Kotaro into a spin, at the same time the Jonin from Konohagakure reached around, grabbed one of the _**Gudodama**_ (Truth Seeking Ball) hanging behind his back, and formed it into a short staff.

Minato then lashed out with it towards his upside-down opponent. In that moment, the kunoichi managed to backhand his thrust away with her palm, before following up with a palm strike that fired a powerful gust of force right into the man's face. The distortion generated by the shockwave Kotaro produced hit the blond Jonin like a freight-train, sending the white cloaked shinobi blasting off his feet and flying across the battlefield.

Traveling a certain distance and bouncing off of the floor several times, Minato then flipped back into an upright position and slammed all his limbs into the ground. Skidding to a stop amidst a cloud of dust two kilometers later, the man then looked up with a start. In the midst of his surprise, he saw Kotaro was already right on top of him- diving down at him with a large Fuma Shuriken spinning in her grip and a crazed look in her eyes.

"Come, Yellow Flash! Let's dance!" the woman shouted.

Loading up the staff he'd formed, Minato then slammed it into the weapon Fuma swung down at him- the multi-natured sphere clashing with the blade's vectors and causing a loud clang to split the ground beneath them. After trading a series of deadly blows from various angles, the blond Jonin leapt then leapt at the woman with a flying kick, which ended in him slamming his foot into the side of her weapon when she lifted it up to block. Upon which he then vanished in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the man disappear caused Kotaro to grin murderously as her eyes tracked him to several hundred feet away, "Oh, I love this game!" Forming a seal, she too also vanished with a sharp pop, her body traveling across the space of the battlefield in the blink of an eye, where she then ended up rematerializing directly behind her opponent. The instant she lunged down at the man with her windmill blade was the exact same time he looked over his shoulder in a startled manner. "TAG!"

Leaping back at the last second, Minato barely avoided getting cut in half when her Fuma Shuriken spun into the floor and sliced right through it, sending rock pelting in all directions. Gritting his teeth, the Jonin then cocked back his arm and pitched three of his three-pronged kunai at her, one of which she knocked away before ducking the other two. The moment they passed over her shoulder, the transformed blond vanished and reappeared over her, catching one of his blades before thrusting down at her with the Gudodama he had transformed into a staff.

However, just when he was a split second away from impaling her, Kotaro's body suddenly popped out of reality before reappearing a few feet away over the knife she had initially deflected.

Minato cursed when he realized he'd missed. _'She's piggybacking off of my_ _ **Hiraishin**_ _again. Damn it!'_

The instant she moved to dodge his attack, the white-haired woman gave the startled man a playful giggle, and promptly kicked the three-pronged kunai on the ground right back at him.

The speed the blade travelled alarmed the Konoha Jonin when he saw it coming towards his head. Not wanting to be taken out by it, he then vanished in another flicker and reappeared at a knife he had lying a dozen yards away. The instant he moved, he then prepared to throw another knife at Kotaro, only to recoil when the woman also disappeared and flickered into view lunging right at him.

What followed from there was a Hiraishin on Hiraishin battle, as both the original user of the technique and the person who was stealing it began darting across the battlefield in their respective yellow and white flashes. Explosions of dust, rubble and fire began peppering the land for several kilometers in every direction possible, as the two high-speed combatants chased and pursued one another with the intent of taking the other person out. Of course, even though Minato was much more experienced at using this technique, his foe was in no way an opponent he had ever come across before.

She was tenacious, sharp, and powerful. A very unsightly and terrifying combination.

As the pair continued with their cat and mouse game for the next minute, Kotaro, who was managing to keep up with the Jonin and trade blows with him, grinned at him as they teleported alongside one another.

"So you used your connection to the Uzumaki Clan to create a kinjutsu that allows you to combine every nature transformation and the yin-yang release into a single chakra cloak to simulate the Sage of Six Paths' powers? There hasn't been a single shinobi in history who has successfully managed to pull this off before," Kotaro exclaimed, catching a Truth-Seeking Ball thrown at her by Minato with her bare hand. The sight had the blond man balk as she then forcibly transformed the ball into a lance, which she then thrust at him. When he vanished, she disappeared too and reappeared alongside the Jonin once again. "You're also using Sage Mode to help maintain the form in a controlled state and quantify the chakra output. A very impressive feat. But even with all this power under your thumb, I bet there's a massive drawback to executing this technique."

Minato grunted when he blocked the sword strike from Kotaro with a second Truth Seeking Ball, which he formed into another baton-like weapon. _'Though Sage Mode is helping me to sustain this form, because of the enormous amount of chakra coursing through my body, I'll end up burning through it at an accelerated rate. As a result, it shortens my lifespan.'_ After ramming the weapon into the kunoichi's blade a couple of times, the pair once again jumped to another kunai and went tumbling into one another. Dodging a kick from the woman, Minato then cocked back his baton and thrust it straight at her. _'I can only use this form a maximum of two times with five minute increments in each, at best! But if it'll help me defeat this woman, then I will use up as many years and as many tries as it takes!'_

After zipping through another dozen or so kunai locations, the pair ended up back where they started. Another shockwave rang out that sent Kotaro flying back at breakneck speed, where she ended up driving her feet into the floor and grinding herself to a halt. Sprouting another grin, she then looked up to see Minato diving at her with two Truth Seeking Balls formed into staffs, both of which were pointed forward and aimed right at her head.

Just when it seemed like Minato was about to carve through the woman, the blond man in the white chakra cloak shuddered to a stop mid-thrust. Eyes widening in alarm when he felt something firm grip his arms, chest and legs, the Jonin then looked over his shoulder to see what'd snagged him, and found his body had been caught by a series of pure black chains with blue runes of a foreign language running up and down their lengths.

"W-What?" Minato gasped.

The web of iron links that were wrapped around his body all seemed to be originating from several black summoning seals, all of which had opened in the air and ground around them. Not only had they moved fast enough to catch him, but they had also halted his movements completely.

"Surprised? This enchanted chain is called _**Dromi**_ \- an ancient weapon that was once used eons ago by the Gods of the Nordic Realm in an attempt to seal the monstrous demonic wolf known as _**Fenrir**_ , a beast prophesized to bring about the end of the world," Kotaro stated, watching the suspended Minato struggle against the binds, but to no avail. The iron rings remained taut and unmoving. "Thanks to the forbidden technique of the Uzumaki Clan, I was able to conjure this weapon up just for you. Now not even your famed teleportation will be able to break you out of this."

After tugging on the chains a second time, Minato then watched as Kotaro raised a hand and snapped her fingers, which caused the chains to suddenly release from the summoning seals and snap around him in the blink of an eye. Encased in the iron binds, the Jonin was unable to do anything as the kunoichi before him placed her fingers over her lips and blew him a kiss.

"I hear the view over the east sea is spectacular this time of year. Tell me how it looks when you manage to come down from orbit."

Giggling in amusement, the barely fazed woman casually lifted her hand and, with a heavy grunt, unleashed a telekinetic blast right into the approaching Minato's face. The thunderclap that rang out when the bound blond was hit head-on by the attack blew a chasm-sized hole into the ground directly behind the Jonin. At the same time the world's fastest shinobi was unceremoniously sent rocketing into the sky at bullet-like speed. His body broke the sound barrier before it shot into the storm clouds, trailing blood and chain links- moments before vanishing into the upper stratosphere.

After sending away her opponent with her vector blast, Kotaro then prepared to pursue him, but ended up getting distracted when she felt a low rumbling run up her legs. Feeling the reverberations traveling through the earth growing more and more violent, the kunoichi then turned around to see what was causing it. This ended in her receiving the surprise of a lifetime when she saw a massive tidal wave of water over a hundred stories high appear over the horizon.

The massive wave, which had originated from the ocean a few miles away, thundered across the landscape at an incredible speed. Pulverizing and sinking every single hill, mountain, and plateau in its path, the enormous tsunami's peak practically brushed the clouds in the sky as it began to crest over the landscape. When its shadow fell over Kotaro's position, the stunned woman looked up the arc of the incoming disaster, whereupon she then spotted two figures sitting within its swirl.

Surfing atop the water inside the curl of the massive wave charging towards their target, the Sannin Jiraiya and the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander guided the wave side-by-side with the intent of dropping the entire swell on top of the woman. While the ninja from Konohagakure had his hands slapped together in a seal as he remained perched on the head of the giant red toad Gamaken, Hanzo- also bearing yellow and black pigmentation around his eyes indicating he too was in his own Sage Mode- formed a new hand seal as the wave maneuvered right over Kotaro's position.

" _ **Senpo: Akuto Yama Funsai-ha**_ **!"** (Sage Art: Rogue Mountain Crushing Wave) Hanzo roared, the enormous tidal wave beginning to arc downwards, with the crest diving straight towards Kotaro's position.

At about the same time, from the wall of raging water, two enormous summon animals exploded out of it. From Jiraiya's right flank, drawing his sword, the enormous toad Gamabunta lunged down at the surprised Kotaro with the intent of carving her in two. While on Hanzo's left flank a massive salamander with grey, hardened skin, dove at the woman with its mouth fully agape.

With the combination of biblical-sized attacks bearing down on the kunoichi without any signs of slowing down, it appeared like the woman was done for. However, after feeling the spray of the wave touch her skin as the attacking summons and the crushing tsunami was just moments away from hitting her, Kotaro put on a big grin before raising her right hand.

"Cool technique. But not good enough," the kunoichi said.

In that moment, the unthinkable happened. A deafening thunderclap- several times louder than the roar of the approaching wave- reverberated across the countryside as a shockwave of incredible power ripped from Kotaro's hand and body. The attack struck the incoming summons and the giant tidal wave in an instant, not only sending the massive animals flying back amidst a gale of devastating hurricane-like winds, but also blasting away the water making up the tsunami.

Hanzo and Jiraiya, who were also caught in the path of the sonic boom, cried out at the top of their lungs as they were sent hurtling away from their target through a whirlwind of water and rubble. The moment they were sent flying, a massive crater five kilometers in diameter was carved into the face of the country, which not only leveled mountains, but also split the peninsula down the center.

The land that had also been flooded over and devastated by Hanzo's super tidal wave, ended up being pulverized as well when the ripples of force from Kotaro's attack dispelled the water.

When all the shaking and winds died out seconds later, the only objects that remained intact following the continent-shaking cataclysm was an empty crater stretching from one vanishing point to the next, Kotaro standing in the center of it, and the bodies of Jiraiya, Hanzo, and their three respective summons lying wounded on the very edges of the fissure formed in the face of the planet.

Floating up from her position in the crater with her arms hanging at her sides, the slightly wet but unharmed Kotaro hummed to herself as she assumed an altitude that would allow her to survey the battlefield more accurately.

"Okay. Now that both of my hands are all warmed up, who's next?" Kotaro asked in a joking manner.

In that moment, another explosion nearby drew the woman's attention towards another part of the crater. Noticing the remains of a chasm still lying within the range of her jutsu, she saw the bruised figure of Kushina standing on the edge of the cliff, hunched over and breathing hard. Covered in a new collection of fresh bruises, bleeding from multiple cuts on her face and head, and having lost her vest, the redheaded kunoichi inhaled deeply as she attempted to recover from her injuries.

Seeing the jinchuriki still standing had Kotaro smirk broadly. "Oh? Still alive, huh? Well, I guess I'll have to make sport of smacking you around a little more."

Kushina hissed as she felt a bolt of pain shoot up her back when she attempted to stand up straight. "N-No. I'm not… going to give up. Not yet." Fixing up her posture, the woman then clenched her teeth and growled in her head. 'Kurama… I need you to give me everything you've got! RIGHT NOW!'

Almost as soon as she made that demand, the deep voice of the Kyuubi- the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, echoed back to her. _**"No problem, spitfire! I've got your back! Go and tear that woman apart!"**_

The instant she had the fox's approval, Kushina then felt a surge of power tear through her body from the center of her stomach. In the blink of an eye, the cuts and bruises she had healed over, at the same time her body became enveloped in a bright orange cloak. Like kerosene being poured over an open fire, her entire form lit up, blazing like a star in the sky as black lines and circular patterns formed over her. When the aura burst from her and roared into life, a scarf of chakra also formed around her neck and became caught up in the wind.

The sight of the kunoichi transforming had Kotaro recoil slightly, as she felt the woman's chakra levels skyrocket.

As for Kushina, the influx of chakra coursing over her body caused her to cry out, as she felt all of her muscles tighten up sharply before relaxing with the transformation when she adapted to the power up.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! _**KYUUBI CHAKURA MODO!"**_ (Nine-Tails Chakra Mode) the kunoichi cried out, before a sonic boom rang out as she launched herself into the sky and straight towards the airborne Kotaro.

Moving faster than a lightning bolt, the fully-powered Kushina charged right at the kunoichi and lunged at her with a punch, only to pass through a shimmer when the woman vanished right from her line of sight. Realizing she'd sped out of the way, the transformed redhead stopped herself midflight, before giving legs a burst of chakra. This kick caused another sonic boom to ring out as she sharply changed directions, diving several stories back towards the ground in pursuit of her foe.

Kotaro, having managed to dodge the kunoichi's attack, grinned and tucked herself up into a ball. The moment she threw herself into a backwards spin, her body then vanished in another flicker when Kushina came down at her with a punch. The moment she vanished, Kushina changed directions again and charged after the retreating warrior.

The white-haired antagonist rematerialized midflight moving backwards through the air at speed. Cracking a smile, she then sprang up and vanished when Kushina flew at her with a kick. The moment the jinchuriki missed, the aura around her flared up before she blasted after the kunoichi as fast as they could.

While Kotaro's form sailed through the air in the form of a white and purple shimmer, Kushina's body left behind a trail of yellow chakra as she pursued her foe with everything she had. Covering several kilometers, the two changed directions once more as the Fuma Clan rogue tore back in the opposite direction, allowing the enraged Kushina to follow after her. Then, just as the redhead was streaking after the female around a smoldering mountain, the kunoichi from Konohagakure was then blindsided when Kotaro- using speed she couldn't track- hooked around and elbowed her from the side.

The blow hit with the force of a locomotive, smashing Kushina through the air and causing her to collide with the side of the mountain.

Kushina's impact with the edifice generated a blast equivalent to a volcano erupting, as Kotaro practically buried the woman into the ground and caused it to implode on itself. As dust and rubble belched into the clouds to further choke up the strained atmosphere, Kotaro- still maintaining a high altitude- casually lifted her left hand, aimed it, and unleashed a barrage of multiple streams of wind.

" _ **Hokoton: Totsuzen Arashi!"**_ (Direction Release: Sudden Storm)

The high-pressure attacks shot out of her palm in a spray, fanning out before homing in on the mountain, where they rained down on the edifice and pulverized it with multiple explosions. These same attacks further battered the surrounding landscape, punching several craters and fissures into the rock, and decimating several plateaus.

When the attack finally ended and the rising dust revealed a now flattened mountain range, it at first seemed like Kushina was now down for the count. However, amidst the smoking rubble, boulders, and slabs of bedrock resting in the heart of the collapsed landmark, a low rumble from one of the debris indicated the presence of life.

A few seconds of shifting later and one of the large pieces of rubble was rolled away, allowing a still miraculously alive Kushina to push herself out of the pile of rock and into the light. Her head popping out of the ground with a gasp, the kunoichi then prepared to scramble out of her tomb, before she suddenly had her head slammed into the floor by a foot landing on top of her.

Through the wall of debris and smoke, Kotaro had managed to dart down from the sky to curb stomp Kushina back into the ground and keep her from moving. This ended in the white-haired maiden grinning broadly down at the Uzumaki as she attempted to push the female off of her. But try as she might, the redhead was unable to budge- a fact that was made more apparent as her opponent pressed down even harder on her and caused her body to sink into the rubble of the mountain she'd demolished.

"Nice try, contender. But even with the Kyuubi's full power behind you, you're no match for me in this state," Kotaro informed with a wide grin. "Even without the _**Cintamani**_ (Wish-Fulfilling Jewel) in my arsenal, thanks to the copious amounts of kinjutsu I've stolen over the years, I've become the most powerful warrior on this entire continent, and the strongest kunoichi in history!" Her grin then widened when she saw Kushina paw at the floor with her hands as her yellow chakra cloak burned around her uselessly. "As of right now, I can go head to head with the Sage of Six Paths if I wanted to. So… what are you going to do about it?"

After several attempts to force the woman off of her, the groaning Kushina then growled through bloodied teeth. "I'm… grr… g-going… to kick… your… **ASS**!" she cried out through a strained voice, hampered by the woman's foot on her temple and the rock against her cheek.

Kotaro leered, "That's the spirit! Never quit! Never surrender! Keep struggling till your very last breath, until you have absolutely nothing left to give!" She then reached into the sash of her kimono, before then flicking out the hand and producing another massive Fuma Shuriken. The moment the four giant blades snapped into view, she then pointed one of them down at the trapped female and exclaimed. "That's the true beauty of existence. That last ditch effort a person experiences when they're just seconds away from the end. The ecstasy derived from that final spurt of energy and adrenaline as they attempt to claw away from death is unlike anything else you will ever feel in this life. Allow me to give you a taste of that satisfaction."

Just as Kotaro was holding Kushina at point and drawing back her blade for a final hit, a low explosion in the distance caught the kunoichi's attention and had the white haired assassin look over her shoulder. Seeing the wall of dust dispel and reveal the charred, battered battlefield beyond, the unstoppable woman suddenly saw a pillar of white light rising from a hill a full kilometer away. When Kotaro narrowed her eyes on it and Kushina craned her head up to see what was happening, both of them noticed that it was Mikoto Uchiha that was the cause of the anomaly, as she was standing right in the center of the glaring light.

As they watched the woman stand there for several moments while continuing to pour chakra from every cell of her body, the pair then saw Mikoto glare up. Through the haze of energy and the blinding aura, they saw the woman's red _**Shin Mangekyo Sharingan**_ spin into view.

The look she had in her glare was one of pure fury.

"Get away from her, YOU **BITCH**!" Mikoto snarled, her glowing red eyes suddenly turning purple as multiple rings slowly formed and rippled out from the very center of her pupils. Almost as soon as she made that exclamation, the woman in the ruined ANBU uniform threw her head back and gave a deafening scream, as the white light surrounding her expanded at an alarming rate.

Twisting, melding and warping together into a single entity, the bones and armor produced by the inferno of white chakra soon took the form of a massive, hulking figure. Rising up higher and higher in the seconds that followed, everyone who was still conscious on the battlefield could only look on in sheer awe, as a female titan of white light, wearing samurai armor fashioned for a woman, with wings on its back, two quivers, and an arm wielding a bow of an incredible size, rose up over the ruined battlefield and stuck its head through the clouds.

A long shadow was soon cast by the giant samurai of chakra as it straightened up to full height. As for Mikoto, during the entity's creation, the kunoichi's body had floated up to stand in the crown of the titan's forehead. Her body becoming encased by a diamond-like jewel in the uppermost part of the helmet, as soon as she became situated the raven haired woman then glared down from her perch towards the spot where Kotaro was standing over her fallen friend.

Chakra surging through her and her eyes reflecting anger, Mikoto snarled dangerously as her voice echoed through her newly formed battle armor. _**"Susanoo!"**_ (He with the ability to help by all means) the Uchiha shouted, at the same time the titan gave a roar of its own as it took a step forward. The fall of its foot upon the floor caused a countrywide tremor to ripple out, which felled several plateaus standing near the base of the chakra titan.

Upon seeing the female-shaped Susanoo stomp towards her, with the wings on its back fanning out to full spread, the stunned Kotaro slowly felt her grin return full force. A chuckle escaping her lips, the woman then stepped away from the fallen Kushina and cackled in a joyous manner.

"Yes! YEEEES! At last! Just like Minato, you've finally unshackled your restraints and allowed your true powers to burst forth! MAGNIFICENT! SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT!" Kotaro's laughter bellowed out and echoed over the mountain as she watched the white giant swing its bow into a more usable position, while its other arm reached for an arrow from one of the quivers strapped to its back. "After all these years, another worthy opponent has come forth to face me! Not since Sakumo Hatake have I felt this much excitement in a battle before!" When she saw the Susanoo draw a white arrow from its quiver, which lit up brightly as it was swiftly positioned in the bow and drawn, the beaming Fuma rogue could only marvel at the display as she drew back her shuriken blades. "Now with the Rinnegan blazing fiercely in your eyes for the desire to protect all those that you love most in this world, you have pushed yourself beyond the limitations of your body and ascended into the realm of the divine!" Kotaro then slammed a fist into the center of her ample chest and shouted one last declaration towards the towering titan, at the same time Kushina quietly crawled out of the crater and sprang out of the way. "I, FUMA KOTARO, THE GODDESS OF WIND, DECLARE YOU ' **THE STRONGEST UCHIHA** ' – DEMON ARROW MIKOTO!"

Mikoto, with her newly evolved Rinnegan spinning in her eyes, which consisted of three ripple-like rings surrounding black pupils, with three lines moving out from said pupils, clenched her teeth and took a stance. "Enough talk!" she shouted, at the same time her Susanoo dropped to one knee, held up its bow, and drew back the arrow it'd loaded with shockingly fast movements. "DODGE THIS!" She then launched the arrow, which left her bow at light speed.

Tracking it through her widened gaze, Kotaro gritted her teeth and formed a seal on one hand, at the same time bending to the side and deflecting the projectile. A flash and a clang echoed out when the woman managed to deflect the massive arrow over her shoulder, in which the arrow shot over the ruined mountain and impaled another about a mile away.

Almost as soon as the rogue ninja dodged and parried the attack, she then looked up with a start to see that the Perfect Susanoo Mikoto was commanding had sprung into the sky, and was now diving at her foot first. Reacting as fast as she could, Kotaro sprang back as fast as she could, her vectors propelling her body at breakneck speeds, and allowing her to dodge the kick the armored titan dropped down on top of her. A massive blast of rubble and dust shot into the air following the Susanoo's impact with the ground, which also generated an earthquake that split the ground in multiple directions.

Immediately upon leveling what was left of the mountain that Kotaro had been standing in, Mikoto then willed her Susanoo into full attack mode. Swinging its bow forward, the titan gripped the string and pulled it back, which in turn conjured three, flaming white arrows along the side of the curve. Upon which it then launched the three shafts towards the retreating Kotaro, all of which multiplied midflight and flew at the woman from various angles.

Her lithe form springing across the landscape at a ridiculously fast speed, the white-haired demon of a kunoichi gracefully dodged and danced around the barrage of arrows as they peppered the countryside in a manner similar to a hail of machinegun fire. The massive projectiles tore apart the battlefield as they chased after the annoying female, who managed to avoid every single one of the deadly shots, until Mikoto started firing them low to the ground.

Avoiding another onslaught of shots and jumping to the side to get out of the path of another bolt, Kotaro folded her arms cross her chest, before then throwing them out with a grunt. _**"Hokoton: Taifu!"**_ (Direction Release: Typhoon) The instant she executed the move, a blast of wind shot from her arms, which expanded and grew at an alarming speed, before literally transforming into a colossal funnel of wind large enough that it could swallow up half a mountain range.

The twister of debris and dust roared across the battlefield, tearing a chasm through the earth as it made its way towards Mikoto's Susanoo. Literally being dwarfed by the massive tower of swirling debris and death, the Uchiha kunoichi took a stance with her armored chakra titan and drew back on her bow.

Another arrow of white, flickering energy forming along the curve of her weapon, the woman allowed a few extra seconds to charge, before unleashing the attack with a loud sonic boom. The release of the arrow cracked the floor beneath her as it flew into the eye of the storm, before detonating with such force that it obliterated the entire tower of whirling wind and dispelled it. The shockwave that resulted from the blast however still nearly knocked Mikoto's Susanoo off its feet, with Fuma Kotaro ending up getting caught up in the raging gale.

The explosion leaving a huge canyon in the heart of the peninsula and a wall of dust clouds surrounding it, Mikoto allowed herself a moment to regain her footing, before proceeding to fire more arrows in pursuit of her opponent.

The next salvo of projectiles streaked across the valley at a range of fifteen kilometers, all of them aiming to cut down the elusive Kotaro as she continued to skillfully avoid being impaled by the shots. Kicking off of another energy shaft when it shot past her like a bolt of lightning, the fast-moving warrior in the kimono grinned as she skillfully avoided another one, before performing a superhuman leap across the burning lowlands. Covering an incredible distance with a single bound, she then landed on the remains of a miraculously still standing plateau.

Perching herself on the top of it, the woman in the revealing dress laughed excitedly as she rose up and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. The moment she did and looked towards the horizon, she saw the towering white form of Mikoto's Susanoo glaring at her from over the rise, and glowing brightly against the dim sky.

"Hahaha! That was exhilarating. I guess now that you've gone through all the trouble of showing me what you can do… I think it's high time I showed you what **I** can really do!" Immediately upon which the woman then slammed her heel into the floor and focused her chakra, upon which she then raised her head and called out. _**"Fuin Kai: Ryujin no To!"**_ (Seal Release: Tower of the Dragon God)

The instant she made the incantation, a series of black summoning seals formed in the air around her. It wasn't just two or three either. Dozens of sealing circles surrounded by kanji of multiple sizes appeared behind the woman, stretching outwards and upwards at great speed, until a wall of summoning circles a hundred stories high and five hundred meters across had appeared.

The sight of the fuinjutsu wall appearing behind Kotaro caused the Susanoo encased Mikoto's jaw to drop a little, as through her uniquely formed Rinnegan she witnessed a massive surge of energy building within the formation.

Almost as soon as the wall had formed, Kotaro- crossing her arms over her chest- then cocked her head up and grinned. "Susanoo armor isn't something to be taken lightly… especially a **Perfect Susanoo**. That means if I'm going to take it down, I'll have to hit it with the highest quality weapons I can invoke." Casually raising her hand up, the woman then commanded the seals into action, which resulted in a countless number of kunai, lances, spears, swords, and other bladed weapons to protrude from the circles. When they did, the woman then aimed them towards the armored figure standing in the distance. "Let's see how you stand up against this one. Yuko!"

The moment she dropped her hand, the hundred plus seals floating in the air behind her launched all of the weapons that they had produced. The blades and tools called forth from the seals were fired with such velocity that they left red trails of light in their wake, with every single projectile converging on Mikoto's location in a matter of milliseconds with the intent of cutting her Susanoo to ribbons.

Seeing the weapons being launched at her through her Rinnegan drew a stunned gasp from the woman, who quickly formed a hand seal and had her titan armor of chakra drop to its knee and bring its arm forward. "Shit!" She then summoned a massive shield of overlapping layers of chakra ribbons in front of her Susanoo's body, which formed into a large protective plate just in time to catch the first wave of projectiles.

Multiple concussive explosions went up around Mikoto, as both her Susanoo and the land it was standing on was bombarded by the onslaught of fast-moving projectiles. Almost everything in reach of her was pulverized in the attack, with the shield she had formed being pierced by several of the large lances and swords fired by her opponent. While of course the barrier did help to repel and absorb some of the damage, the parts of her Susanoo that were still exposed ended up getting massive chunks taken out of it by the weapons that didn't hit her shield.

A few seconds later and after about a hundred or so explosions went off around her, the dust and fire soon settled to reveal a thoroughly beaten up Perfect Susanoo kneeling on the ground- its shield riddled by multiple weaponry, holes blown into multiple parts of its body, and the valley also covered in weapons of multiple sizes and types.

Noticing her target was still somewhat intact following the first wave, Kotaro cracked a smile. "Oh? I'm surprised to see you're still standing. Normally an attack like that would've reduced an entire army of shinobi into a pile of limbs. But the fact that your Susanoo is still somewhat intact is a testament to your strength." Upon saying this, the rogue kunoichi then carelessly lifted her hand and summoned another assortment of weapons from the sealing circles still floating behind her. To top this off, several more even larger seals opened up in the air, which then produced a collection of enormous shuriken, with each being the size of a house. "Guess I'll have to hit it a little bit harder this time."

Mikoto, still winded from absorbing so much damage from the barrage, gave a growled of annoyance as she then put out more chakra into her Susanoo. The result didn't just cause her Rinnegan to spin, but also prompted her chakra composed entity to repair itself. The holes and chunks taken out of the titan samurai quickly sealed shut and repaired themselves, moments before the giant flipped its shield up, loaded its bow, and fired another shot towards Kotaro.

The arrow screamed across the battlefield as it flew towards Kotaro's position, who merely looked on with a casual smile as the bolt seemingly hit her head on and detonated with concussive force. As fire belched out around her and a shower of debris pelted the valley, the smoke soon dissipated moments later to reveal Kotaro still standing perfect in place, but with eight enormous glass-like shields positioned directly in front of her.

The eight shields, which had appeared in front of her from the summoning seals she'd produced, shimmered as they absorbed the kinetic energy generated from the arrow Mikoto had fired. The Uchiha woman meanwhile appeared completely stumped at seeing her shot get deflected so easily.

Upon seeing the air clear, Kotaro giggled happily. _**"Yata no Kagami,"**_ (Eight Span Mirror) Kotaro stated, before allowing the shimmering shields to fade back into the sealing circles they'd been conjured from. "The original shields brought to earth by _Ninigi-no-Mikoto_ , the legendary ancestor of the human imperial line of the Elemental Nations from over three thousand years ago. Even weapons long thought to be lost to time are nothing to the Uzumaki Clan's last greatest kinjutsu- the technique that defies the laws of time and space to summon any object from history."

Almost as soon as she finished this statement, Kotaro suddenly felt a shadow fall over her. Looking up, she then spotted a massive, clawed hand dropping down towards her from an incredible height, she prompted the kunoichi to dart out of the way. While most of the sealing circles behind her dispelled, leaving with only a few hovering directly behind her back, the woman managed to get out of the way just in time to see the massive limb cave in the plateau she'd been perched on. Landing a few hundred meters away, the white-haired rogue saw that it'd in fact been the Kyuubi that'd tried to crush her- only the biju was assumed in a form that she wasn't expecting to see.

Though the massive beast was in its full, nine-tailed state, the entire body of the beast from its head all the way down to its appendages seemed to take the form of a golden chakra cloak, with various black lines running all along its body. Despite maintaining a virtually solid form, the glowing, slightly transparent biju's physical form also seemed to shimmer like fire, making it even more apparent that the creature in its current state was composed entirely out of energy.

Furthermore, positioned proudly in the beast's forehead and still sheathed in her own cloak of chakra, Kushina Uzumaki was back on her feet and ready to go.

Smirking at seeing the redhead was back on her feet with the Kyuubi fully manifested from her body, Kotaro uncrossed her arms and set herself into a new stance. Now, with both the strongest biju currently on the field and the Uchiha matriarch flexing the full powers of her evolved kekkei genkai, the white-haired demon of a woman was now feeling even more fired up.

"Finally," Kotaro said boisterously as her eyes darted between both the Kyuubi and the Susanoo standing on opposite sides of the battlefield. "A fight that might be worthy of my time!" Upon taking stock of her adversaries, the woman then turned her attention towards the sky behind her and reached out with her hand.

For the first time in that battle, the white-haired kunoichi began focusing all of her chakra and effort into a single point, causing her to grit her teeth and growl in effort as she telepathically sent an enormous wave of chakra up into the atmosphere. The black clouds above her parting around the direction of her extended palm in an instant, the gust of wind quickly revealed the moon hovering behind the veil of smog. The moment the celestial body came into view, Kotaro curled her fingers into a fist, which then caused the point of the moon closest to her to rupture, before a visible shockwave traveled across its surface.

Mikoto, Kushina, Hanzo, Kakuzu and Jiraiya- all of whom were still conscious and watching the scene from a distance, felt all their jaws drop at once and their eyes widen in terror, as they pretty much saw Fuma Kotaro willfully fracture the earth's moon with a mere pull of her fist.

What they didn't see of course was, as the miniature planet's broken plates and chunks drifted apart from one another, the Otsutsuki Clan members who were currently inhabiting the moon could only hold on for dear life as their otherworldly home literally feel to pieces around them. While the atmosphere still held up, the sudden sharp increase in pressure along with all of the gravity suddenly inverting around them caused every single person on that planet to get tossed about like ragdolls, with those managing to find some purchase gripping on and refusing to let go.

Even Minato, who was still trapped in orbit and trying to remove the enchanted chains binding him, gaped when he saw the planet's moon practically implode on itself from an unknown but overwhelmingly powerful force.

The sight was nothing short of biblical.

"Get the fuck out of here," Hanzo exclaimed from where he was kneeling on the ground in front of a water-filled crevice- his kusarigama also lying uselessly on the floor beside him.

"That's… impossible," Jiraiya also whispered, while the two elder toads perched on his shoulders also gaped in disbelief at what they were seeing. "Right? There's no way that something like this can happen."

"Believe it or not, gaki… it's happening," Shima croaked under her breath.

Kotaro, sensing the stunned gazes of her opponents looking upon her actions, grinned maliciously before calling out the name of her next attack. _**"Hokoton: Rakka Shinsei!"**_ (Direction Release: Falling Star) With a mighty heave, the woman then dragged her clenched fist through the air and threw it in the direction of Mikoto and Kushina.

In that instant, the fractured moon- with at least half of it still staying in orbit- had massive pieces of it yanked from the main body and sent plummeting towards the earth at light speed. The vectors created by Fuma Kotaro guided the celestial body's chunks into the planet's atmosphere, all of which quickly caught fire as they smashed through the clouds, before roaring across the northern sky and over the peninsula where Kotaro was battling the six shinobi.

What happened was almost akin to a world ending disaster. With the clouds in the sky dispelling as the air practically caught fire, rubble the size of islands soon came raining down over the country from east to west, with the first wave smashing into the wasteland and generating explosions so great that they not only reshaped the peninsula, but warped the face of the planet. Clouds similar in size to nuclear warheads belched into the sky and sent shockwaves traveling across the earth's stratosphere- anomalies that could be seen in every village across the Elemental Nations.

As the countryside was pummeled by debris from the moon, with huge chunks of the land disappearing into the ocean or being swallowed up by lava generated by the force of the impacts, through the chaos Mikoto and Kushina saw another wave of rubble plummeting directly towards them. Not wanting to be flattened by the building-sized boulders that Kotaro was using as shuriken, the duo charged up their respective attacks and fired them- the Uchiha launching light arrows up into the atmosphere and the Uzumaki working in conjunction with the Kyuubi to form multiple Bijudamas to wipe out as many of the rocks as possible.

Flashes and sphere-shaped explosions filled the stratosphere above the country as several big chunks of the moon were obliterated instantly. The combined efforts from Mikoto and Kushina ensured that some of the smaller debris was also knocked off course and sent crashing into the distance where no harm could be brought to any of them.

Down on the ground, Jiraiya, Hanzo and Kakuzu helped too. While the former managed to stop one of the meteorites by charging up a _**Senpo: Cho' Odama Rasengan**_ (Sage Art: Ultra Big-Ball Rasengan) to completely obliterate the rubble, Hanzo launched a powerful stream of water from the ocean to cut through several of the mountain-sized rocks, while Kakuzu incinerated a dozen utilizing the fire mask from his back and transferring it to his arm. The three managed to stave off all of the stray debris that was falling towards them, but on the whole were unable to stop most of the rubble from hitting the peninsula around them.

After dealing with a majority of the debris plummeting towards them, both Mikoto and Kushina were then stopped by a massive shadow that suddenly encompassed the entire area. When they looked up, both women gaped when they saw another part of the moon spanning the entire size of the hidden leaf village falling in their direction, its entire surface burning hot from entry into the planet's atmosphere.

Kotaro, despite being under it as well, merely stood there and grinned with her arms crossed as she saw the pair quickly fall into a panic.

Knowing that death was imminent if they allowed that chunk to touch the ground, Mikoto quickly gathered up her senses and slapped her hands together into a Ram seal. At the same time her Perfect Susanoo cloak spawned two extra sets of arms, both of which also came together to form simultaneous Snake and Bird hand signs. The moment the aura surrounding her avatar flared up, the woman chanted her next technique.

" _ **Taju Tengai Shinsei!"**_ (Multi-Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Stars)

The moment Mikoto finished her incantation, coming down from the sky behind her from another part of the planet's orbit, several perfectly round meteorites of incredible size came blasting through the atmosphere. Tearing through the clouds and leaving trails of debris and fire, the massive extraterrestrial objects arced across the sky and into the path of the oncoming, city-sized meteor- as well as the other meteorites around it.

When the smaller objects collided with the larger one, a catastrophic and deafening thunderclap rang out as the meteors exploded into showers of smaller rubble. With superb accuracy, the meteors that Mikoto brought down managed to intercept some of the other ones thrown by Kotaro, all of which either exploded into clouds of dust or were knocked off course. Either way, the results were astronomical in scale, as the peninsula ended up getting pummeled by the falling space rocks.

More of the land was chipped away and annihilated in the resulting shower. Due to Mikoto's timely intervention, the damage that would've been brought on by the larger chunk of moon dragged down on them from earth's orbit was considerably minimized.

The sight had Kushina and the other shinobi breathe a heavy sigh of relief, with the former looking across the countryside to grin at her Susanoo-clad friend.

"Well done, girl!" the redhead exclaimed, with her Kyuubi cloak also giving the Uchiha a thumbs-up. "Nice shooting."

Grinning in relief, the powered-up Mikoto nodded, "Thanks." Relaxing from her pose prompted her Susanoo's six-armed state to also return to normal, with its bow being drawn once again.

As small meteorites and debris continued to cascade down into the valley and peninsula, mounting further damage to the already decimated landscape, a smirking Kotaro then conjured up another series of summoning seals behind her. The moment they came into view, the woman reached out with both her hands and grabbed the handles that protruded from them. When she pulled the objects out, the woman was now wielding two different weapons- a claymore in her right hand and a golden lance incrusted with the sun in her left hand.

Spinning both weapons into a fighting stance and holding both weapons out, the white-haired woman smirked. **"** _ **Gram: Hametsu no Reimei**_ (Gram: Dawn of Ruin): the ancient, demonic sword wielded by _**Sigurd**_ , the Greatest Hero of Northern Europa bearing a legend equal to that of the great King Arthur Pendragon." After gesturing to the broad sword with the red, crystal blade in question, she then held forward the golden spear with the sun-shaped head and golden vines running up and down its shaft. **"** _ **Vel**_ (Vale): the divine lance once wielded by the God of War _**Murugan**_ of Hindu mythology, which shines the light of battle upon its every thrust. Let's see how well you two warriors of this land fair against the sacred treasures once held by these legends of our world!"

In that instant, both Mikoto and Kushina decided they'd waited long enough. Upon seeing the woman draw her new weapons, both Kyuubi enhanced redhead and her Susanoo wielding partner charged across the battlefield at full speed. Their bodies transforming into golden and white blurs respectively, the two women maneuvered around the rubble crashing into the ground from above before encircling Kotaro.

In a blink of an eye, both titans were upon the white-haired female, who'd leapt into the air to avoid being swallowed up by their feet, while performing a graceful spin to keep the two enormous opponents on either side of her. The moment they were close, the Kyuubi swung at Kotaro with its clawed-fist, while the Susanoo drew a tantō from its side and struck across at the kunoichi as well.

When both attacks collided with the female in the center, another shockwave of tremendous force rippled out, splitting the valley down the center and causing the ground to implode from the force- with both avatars sinking into the fissure. Bolts of golden lightning also shot out from the center where their attacks met, where Kotaro was currently wedged and blocking both attacks with the enchanted tools she'd drawn from her space-time kinjutsu.

Managing to hold back the full weight of the Kyuubi and the Susanoo as they attempted to crush her between their respective attacks, the grinning Kotaro let out a chuckle.

"Come on, girls. Let's have some fun," the woman said.

Embers of golden flames whipping from the Kyuubi's back, a calm Kushina then smirked across at her best friend- her eyes red and slatted from her transformation. "Let's teach this bitch a lesson, Mikoto-chan!"

Also putting on a grin, the raven haired woman bared the full glare of her Rinnegan on their foe and shouted back in a gutsy voice, "Yeah!"

At that moment, all hell broke loose.

Their forms transforming into bolts of energy, both Mikoto and Kushina smashed Kotaro out from between their weapons and began chasing after her. Their forms converging and intercepting with the woman's repeatedly, the pair lashed out at the woman at a ferocious pace, cracks of lightning and white ringing out as they proceeded to smack her across the countryside. Tearing fissures through the earth as they pursued their tiny foe, the two practically transformed the peninsula into their own playground, as they began laying into their opponent with everything they had.

Unfazed by the force of the attacks smashing into her from both sides, Kotaro expertly and timely blocked every single strike aimed at her with her two weapons. Sparks flew from the blade and spear when she deflected and parried each blow, and though her body ended up being knocked about like a pinball by the two titan avatars, the kunoichi herself remained relatively unscathed as she calmly traded shots with the pair.

After their forms ripped across the valley to the other side, using her Kurama's tails, Kushina smashed Kotaro head on and sent her barreling through the air. When they saw her perform a backflip and drop down onto a plateau, the Kyuubi and the Susanoo then tore off in opposite directions, leaving behind a sonic boom that ripped a fissure into the earth as they flanked the woman.

Twirling her spear around and dropping into a low stance, a grinning Kotaro gave a boisterous laugh, "COME!"

Taking a comfortable distance, Mikoto drew back on her Susanoo's bow and launched a barrage of light arrows at the woman, who managed to smash them aside with her sword before retaliating with a golden blast fired from the tip of her divine spear. The attack ripped a trench across the peninsula towards the Uchiha, who sprang high into the sky to avoid getting a chunk of her avatar taken out. When a catastrophic explosion filled the horizon from the blast making landfall, both Mikoto and Kushina dropped down on Kotaro's position and lashed out at her from two different directions.

The two giants blurred together as they circled their diminutive opponent, who through graceful footwork and spins of her weapons, ripped tore apart the plateau and the valley around her as their two-on-one battle moved across the landscape.

Jiraiya, Hanzo and Kakuzu, all of whom were watching the earth-shaking battle from a safe distance, felt the blasts of heat and shockwaves from across the lowlands. Shielding themselves when another blast of debris hit them, the group watched as the two distant figures of the golden Kyuubi and the white Susanoo clashed with the weapon master darting between them.

After managing to deflect another downward blow from the blade-wielding Susanoo, Kotaro used her vector powers to hit the armored avatar with another invisible blast wave. The attack smashed another crater into the floor as it sent the chakra entity flying up into the sky.

Tumbling with her Susanoo to an impossible altitude, Mikoto gritted her teeth as she stabilized herself, before prompting her avatar to draw back on its bow and launch another arrow down at the white-haired kunoichi.

Kotaro quickly deflected the bolt when it shot down at her, an amused leer appearing on her face as she then spun her red sword about and swung it back. Her swing generated a red wave of energy, which washed across the battlefield and ripped the land asunder. Caught up in the attack, the Kyuubi and its jinchuriki Kushina gave a startled cry as they were swept up by the gale of wind and sent tumbling across the valley.

Rag-dolling through several hills and plateaus, the Nine-Tailed avatar eventually righted itself and skidded to a stop on all-fours. Simultaneously gathering chakra into its mouth, it then launched a Bijudama straight towards Kotaro, who quickly swung her broadsword back and thrust her spear forward. The resulting collision between the sacred spear and the black sphere of death resulted in a catastrophic explosion, which punched another huge crater into the peninsula and caused the ground for two kilometers to melt.

As molten lava splashed across the scorched earth, Mikoto and her Susanoo then crashed down outside of the crater. From there, the Uchiha then focused her chakra into her eyes and honed in on Kotaro's position.

" _ **Rinbo: Hengoku!"**_ (Wheel Grave: Border Jail) the woman chanted, as she watched the kunoichi in the center of the crater twirl her golden lance and red sword about her in a showy manner.

Spinning around when she sensed a disturbance behind her, Kotaro narrowed her eyes on the air space as she tracked something large and powerful coming towards her. Not seeing anything, the woman then used her alternate senses to scan the area. When she detected an attack heading her way, her eyes widened and she raised both her weapons, a split second before a loud clang rang out and she was knocked flying across the battlefield.

Smashing through a stone boulder before grinding her feet to a stop, the rogue ninja looked up with an excited grin when she again sensed another invisible force heading her way. Reacting to it in kind, she lashed out with her lance and connected with whatever it was that was coming at her, unaware that she was being attacked by two invisible Mikoto Uchiha clones in a parallel world. However, since she was able to pick up the vectors of their movements through the earth and air as they interacted with the physical world, it made telegraphing them all the more easier for her.

Unleashing another blast from her sword to clear-cut the area in front of her and get rid of the invisible clones attacking her, Kotaro then had to leap out of the way when a massive fist slammed down on her from behind. When she skidded a safe five hundred yards away, the woman looked up to see the massive, wriggling mass of the bounty hunter Kakuzu standing over her.

Having gathered enough chakra to perform this technique, the former shinobi of Takigakure had managed to beef up all of his Jiongu threads to form a massive, multi-armed body made up of hundreds of writhing tentacles- with Kakuzu himself suspended in the very chest of the beast. Now resembling a kraken, the S-Rank shinobi was now looming over Kotaro at a similar height to Mikoto's Susanoo, with a chakra level that was now dozens of times higher than it was before.

With threads spewing from his mouth, the green-eyed hunter roared as he withdrew the threaded fist he'd buried into the floor and drew it back, "Don't underestimate the man who fought against the First Hokage, you wretch!" Kakuzu barked, his enlarged form stomping forward as he drew back another of his limbs and swung it down at the woman. "DIE!" His scream was matched by the loud rushing of wind generated by his appendage, which cast a long shadow over his target as she retook her stance.

Drawing back her sword, Kotaro smirked when she saw the tentacle arm dropping down at her. Before it even came within range, she swung up at the arm and cut through it with a blast of red wind, which sliced off the arm and sent the rest of it flying back. The shockwave generated by the sword blasted the hulking Kakuzu back, his form's legs dragging through the ground for a few yards and prompting the hunter the snarl.

With his red and blue masks appearing on either side of his suspended body, the now monster of a shinobi cracked open their mouths and quickly gathered chakra inside their jaws. **"** _ **Kimen no Bakuen!"**_ (Strange Mask Exploding Flame) At his command, an enormous hurricane of flames was launched from his masks- the wind and fire combining together to form an enormous torrent of combusting air that rocketed down towards Kotaro at a terrifying speed.

Sensing the power behind the attack, Kotaro quickly swung her spear forward into a defensive position, before she was hit head-on by the attack. An enormous portion of the land was swallowed up by the flames, before a gargantuan explosion took place that reached into the clouds and parted them.

Just when it seemed as though Kakuzu had managed to incinerate his foe, the geyser of flames the size of a mountain was suddenly split in half, and a golden beam of light shot from Kotaro's spear towards the transformed bounty hunter. The beam struck the warrior in the side of the body and incinerate that portion of him, while the rest of the beam split him in half, before sending bits and pieces of him blasting back through a gale of force winds. Kakuzu himself- as well as the two masks he'd produced- were sent tumbling out of the crumbling body and over the valley, where they were swallowed up by the cloud of debris.

After dispersing of her attacker, Kotaro twirled her spear about, turned around, and struck down at the ground with her sword again. The direction she swung in was the same area that Mikoto and Kushina were in, both of whom quickly barreled to the side when they realized the woman was attacking them.

" _ **Bolverk Gram: Eko no Tenwa!"**_ (Bolverk Gram: Heaven's Ring of Destruction) A loud battle cry left Kotaro's lips as she unleashed another powerful slash of red circular energy from her demon sword Gram, which not only carved through the atmosphere overhead, but also cut the entire peninsula in half. The force of the blast unleashed by the magic sword fragmented the land, resulting in an entire chunk of it imploding on itself and the bottom of the fissure formed from the attack to instantaneously transform into a river of magma. A split second later, the red-hot slash drawn straight across the land then detonated in a manner similar to a super volcano going off- a result that could clearly be seen from the planet's orbit.

As lava and molten earth spewed into the sky, annihilating everything that lay beneath the geysers of liquid rock, Kushina- still cloaked in the Kyuubi's full chakra form to protect her from the shower of ash and molten rock raining down all over- perched herself on the edge of the cliff that'd formed from Kotaro's attack. With the world collapsing and melting around her, under the fountain of lava still gushing into the air behind her, she saw Mikoto's Susanoo leap across the chasm between them, dissipate, and the raven haired woman dive towards her.

"Kurama! Catch her!" Kushina shouted.

" _ **Yeah!"**_ the fox barked back, bringing its tail up, curling it, and allowing the raven haired woman to drop into his appendage. After lowering his tail towards his head, he then allowed the Uchiha to sink in through his cloak and into his head, where Kushina was suspended and waiting.

The moment her best friend and crush floated into her space, the redhead extended her hand and caught Mikoto's, the pair locking fingers and looking at one another with intent. Once contact was made, the Uchiha then sent chakra into her hand, which took the form of a white wisp of flames surrounding her palm.

"Let's take her on! Together!" Mikoto said with a smile.

Knowing exactly what her partner was proposing, the still-transformed Kushina grinned broadly before willing Kurama around to face where Kotaro was still standing. As the ground beneath them crumbled, the Uzumaki then had Kurama rise up to both his feet. The moment he stood up, white chakra began to whirl around his golden form. From his feet up, the giant fox's body was soon covered by white plates of armor, which latched onto his glowing flesh and provided the biju with an extra layer of protection. After a bow formed in his palm, its tails became covered in white plating, and a samurai helmet was shaped around his long head, the Nine-Tails was now set and ready for combat.

" _ **Iso: Susanoo!"**_ (Majestic Attire: Susanoo) both Mikoto and Kushina chanted at once, with the Kyuubi giving his trademark, deafening growl, which shook the ground and blasted aside the wall of lava rising from the fissure beside them.

Fuma Kotaro, seeing the Susanoo clad Kyuubi barreling towards her, grinned broadly before burying both her spear and sword into the floor. "Okay! I'll play along!" she shouted, once more summoning a large sealing circle behind her, which spanned the exact same height that the Kyuubi had taken. " _ **Vaiśrava**_ _ **ṇ**_ _ **a**_ **!"** (Prince of all Hearing) In that instant, the woman's body was suddenly surrounded by a golden light, which formed into a pagoda that was picked up by a massive hand that reached out of the seal. As she gained altitude, a massive, golden figure of light energy stepped out of the barrier, and when the summoning markings vanished moments later, all that we left standing in its place was an armored avatar of impressive size and stature.

Similar to a Susanoo, this armored figure was composed of pure golden energy, and had a very regal appearance. The design of its armor was nothing like a samurai's, but closer to that of a monk, with a long cloak worn on its back, a scarf of energy waving behind it, and a crown of Buddhism design. As soon as it stomped into view, the deity then conjured a long golden staff out of thin air, which spun elegantly into view and dropped into its hand. At the same time the avatar placed the pagoda it had formed around Kotaro onto a necklace around its neck, from where the woman hung and took command of the titan.

"This is _Vaiśrava_ _ṇ_ _a_ : the physical embodiment of one of the _**Chaturmahārāja**_ (The Four Great Heavenly Kings), wielded as a guardian totem by the monks of Asie!" Kotaro stated, keeping her arms crossed as she allowed the enormous golden warrior to stand in her stead. "This specially crafted avatar of the deity will allow me to fight on your terms!"

Mikoto and Kushina, both floating side-by-side within the Susanoo clad Kyuubi as it ran towards the now armor-donned woman, put their game faces on when they saw Kotaro conjure up a new challenge for them. After sprinting across the landscape at full speed, the two women then will their combined avatar into action.

Springing high into the sky with a single bound, the armored biju drew back on its bow, loaded up a light arrow the size of a lance, and fired it down at the golden avatar. Kotaro managed to telegraph the shot and, with a casual swing of her titan's staff, managed to deflect the bolt and send it into the ground behind her. The attack struck and tore another fissure through the earth, which ended in a colossal explosion behind the golden giant.

Plummeting from the sky towards the beast, the Kyuubi dropped down on the colossus with a flying kick, slamming it into its staff and generating a big shockwave. Knocking the golden guardian back, the biju proceeded to tear into it with earth-shaking blows from its claws and tails, slamming into the entity from multiple directions and forcing it onto the defensive. Each blow shock the entire peninsula off of its foundations- causing all the surrounding hills and tors to disintegrate under the blasts of force being generated by the warring giants.

Upon deflecting a tail swipe from the Kyuubi, the Vaiśravaṇa commanded by Kotaro spun back its staff, avoided a kick, and then slammed its three-pronged end into the armored biju's chest. The flash of light that followed sent a gigantic blast of wind ripping into the tailed beast and knocked it back, while at the same time shredding the battlefield behind it and sending rubble flying towards the burning horizon.

After managing to land after the devastating hit- with the Susanoo armor over the Kyuubi's chest having to repair itself from the hole smashed into it- the Mikoto and Kushina resumed their attack on Kotaro. A battle between Gods then took place right there on the peninsula, with both sides trading monstrous blows and attacks, generating force winds and shockwaves that tore the entire land apart.

Ducking a flamboyant staff swing from Kotaro's avatar, which sent a hurricane gust shooting into the distance, the Susanoo-clad Kyuubi loaded up its fist and socked the golden titan in the mug, which easily sent the entity skidding back across the valley. Managing to grind itself to a halt amidst a cloud of dust, the white-haired kunoichi piloting the guardian spirit smirked as she prepared to deliver another attack, only to have her attention drawn skywards when something else caught her attention.

Eyes fixing on the atmosphere overhead, where she saw small bits of moon burning up on entry, the kunoichi also spotted a bright glint, which seemed to be getting closer and closer as the seconds ticked by. It wasn't long before the woman was able to make out a massive, blue sphere of twisting energy, which broke through the atmosphere with such force it generated a sonic boom that blasted away all cloud cover and meteorite debris in its path.

Even more rang out as the object grew closer and, as Kotaro gazed up at the ethereal ball of blue twisting energy plummeting towards her, with streams of visible wind swirling out from it, the woman was able to make out a distinct figure in front of the ball. What's more, as the figure dropped towards her, his body ablaze from reentry into the atmosphere, the white-haired kunoichi realized that he was in fact holding the sphere of chakra the size of a small island above his head.

The wielder of course was none other than Minato Namikaze, who was once again cloaked in his Six Paths Sage Mode, and blazing a hot trail of blue flames through the sky.

Letting out an ecstatic laugh, Kotaro then set herself into her stance, while also compelling her avatar Vaiśravaṇa to swing up its staff and prepare to attack. "Finally out of your chains, huh? Is this your newest jutsu, Yellow Flash?! Well, BRING IT ON!" The woman cackled as her golden titan stomped forward and drew back its stick for a hit, while simultaneously telegraphing the path of the incoming blow. "I'LL RIP RIGHT THROUGH YOU WITH-huh?" She was unable to finish her declaration when she was cut off by a sudden anomaly.

From out of nowhere, a surge of invisible force dropped down on her avatar, slamming into her and causing her armor's legs to buckle. Dropping to all fours, the guardian warrior's entire body groaned as the ground around it started to cave in, prompting Mikoto, Kushina and Kurama to retreat as fast as they could to get out of range of the incoming attack. As the floor splintered and fractured for hundreds of meters from the incoming attack, a stunned Kotaro strained to look up through the ridiculous gravity field and sneered.

'Whoa. The power... behind his attack is so great… it's literally distorting space and gravity around it…' Kotaro thought, before a manic grin once again formed across her lips and her eyes widened with mad excitement. "Hahaha! Excellent! This is exactly the kind of battle I've been waiting for!" With a growl of effort, she willed her golden avatar to try and stand, but only managed to bring it up to one knee and crane its head up to face the oncoming attack, which had now past the last cloud level. "COME ON! GIVE IT TO ME, YELLOW FLASH! RAM IT INTO ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!"

As the Susanoo-clan Kurama skidded to a stop a good three miles away, Kushina and Mikoto looked up, before the former bellowed at the top of her lungs. "GO GET HER-"

"-MINATOOOOOOOOO!" Mikoto finished strongly.

Unable to hear her above the screech of his attack and the howl of the winds, Minato clenched his teeth as he cranked back his arm, which felt like it was about to rip off from the force he'd built up behind his technique. **"** _ **SENPO: TAIKYOKU RASENSUISEI!**_ (Sage Art: Supreme Ultimate Spiraling Comet) HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" He then swung his attack forward with a mighty heave, bringing it forward while he got behind it.

From a distance, looking down on the entire peninsula, one could see the massive, blue, warping Rasengan leave a trail of rainbow embers in its path, with a tail of chakra streaking behind it as it swallowed up everything in its path. True to its name, the massive sphere of chakra looked exactly like a comet breaking through the planet's atmosphere- both in size and appearance. The moment it came within range of Kotaro's Vaiśravaṇa armor, the shockwave that rang out first was devastating, yet silent.

The moment the floor beneath the Rasengan's impact point collapsed and massive tectonic-like plates of earth were sent jutting out of place across the peninsula, a deafening roar of an explosion filled the atmosphere. Along with it, an explosion that would've incinerated the _**Juubi**_ (Ten-Tails) in its entirety engulfed the entire vicinity of the blast, creating a dome-shaped blast that covered the entire horizon, while also sending waves of force blasting in every direction.

The sheer magnitude of the blast knocked an observing Kushina and Mikoto's combined avatar off its feet, sending the Kyuubi barreling across the continent before sliding to a stop a good five miles away. Jiraiya, Kakuzu and Hanzo on the other hand were practically made airborne for a good five minutes as all of them were sent tumbling through the hail of debris, screaming their heads off.

Of course, being the hardy shinobi that they were, all three of them were able to survive by landing against something or catching it with their respective tools. Kakuzu latched onto a plateau and pulled himself onto it with his Jiongu threads, Jiraiya landed against the side of a mountain on all fours, which was promptly chipped away by the hurricane winds blasting into it, and Hanzo managed to anchor himself to the floor using sealing circles from his body.

Even though the group of observing ninja managed to stop themselves from being blown away, the landscape itself wasn't so lucky. The flash of the explosion reached across the entire peninsula, with the entire country fracturing all the way to the coasts and the borders of the next country. After the ground rippled several times from the ungodly tremors that resulted from the detonation of the Rasengan Comet, the entire country then started to sink into the ocean. Lava bubbled to the surface from the land's crust and swallowed up the land, but that didn't stop the country from starting to sink into the ground and water, hectare by hectare.

As the peninsula crumbled into the water, the explosion in its center vanished- revealing a mushroom cloud with bolts of lightning shooting out of it hanging in the sky and a crater of impossible size smoldering beneath it. The surface of the crater looked as though it'd been transformed into a smooth layer of glass with a spiral pattern etched into it, along with a sinkhole roughly a kilometer across resting in the center of it.

Due to the manner of the explosion, there was absolutely not a single plateau, tor, cliff or hill left standing. Everything that had fallen within range of the attack had been perfectly leveled by the Rasengan.

As for the executor of the attack, immediately after slamming his comet-sized move into his opponent, Minato Namikaze had managed to teleport to one of his kunai outside of the attack's blast zone. After escaping getting caught up in the calamity, the man had collapsed to his knees and allowed his pseudo-Six Paths Sage Mode to dissipate, leaving him in nothing but his Jonin shirt and pants.

Gasping for air as he kept himself there, the sweating blond grinned broadly and looked up through one open eye. "For the record… the east sea _was_ quite spectacular up there. Thanks for the trip."

Almost as soon as he said that and gazed up towards the center of the country-spanning crater, his gaze became one of shock when- from the smoke- he spotted the white form of Kotaro hovering in the distant sky.

Hair and kimono fluttering on the wind, the woman was slumped forward as she remained fixed in the air, at first unmoving. After a moment however, Minato and everybody else in sight of the kunoichi saw the demonic female lift her head and leer at them. Bearing a few burns and scratches on her person- including a cut on her forehead that was dripping blood down her face- the rogue ninja in the slightly torn kimono gave another insane laugh before bringing her right hand up.

"So… was that the strongest attack you could possibly throw at me?" the woman asked, before swinging her arm up and pointing her hand towards the sky behind her, "Very well. Let me show you mine." She then grunted as she sent her chakra into her palm.

All of a sudden, a massive summoning circle spanning the width and height of the entire planet unexpectedly spread across the sky and up in space, several hundred miles away from earth. At first the patterns of kanji and flames remained there, until a loud rumbling echoed across the sky and- with a roar of a distant wind- the unthinkable happened.

Minato and all the other people present- including Kurama in his avatar state- felt their eyes bug out when, beside the shattered moon floating in the void above their world, they saw another planet emerge from the summoning seal. Bleeding into view like it was stepping through a wall, an enormous red planet covered in deserts from its northernmost point to the southernmost point appeared in earth's orbit. Despite being in the vacuum of space, the sound it made as it fell into their world's path caused a loud rumbling of an earthquake to reverberate across the atmosphere, before eventually completely exiting the summoning seal altogether.

Hanzo, still clutching hold of his kusarigama, dropped his weapon with a clatter against the floor the moment he saw the other world appear. "You're shitting me?" the man gasped through a gaping mouth. "Is this… really ninjutsu?"

Kotaro smirked when she saw she got the desired responses from all those she could see scattered for miles across the battlefield. "This is the greatest sacred artifact I am capable of summoning from the furthest reaches of time! _**Pankosmio Polemo**_ \- also known in the common tongue as _**Mars**_ \- the great red planet drifting through our solar system! In actuality, it is an archaic superweapon created by the legendary _God of War_ _**Ares**_ of _Ancient Macedonia_ , which he used to wage war on _**Olympus**_ \- the domain of the Gods- and _**Tartarus**_ \- the Realm of the Dead! Now it belongs to me!" With a shout of effort, the woman's body shot up into the sky, breaking the sound barrier as she used her vectors to propel her through the clear atmosphere above the planet and up into space.

In mere seconds, Minato and the others watched the white form of Kotaro vanish into space as she approached the red planet hovering over them. After shooting through the vacuum and arcing into orbit of Mars, the tiny speck of a woman then made her way to the largest crater sitting on the face of the world and plummeted towards the top-most edge of the crater.

Slowing her descent after entering the world's atmosphere, the woman then touched down on the steps of what looked like a Pantheon, completely with gold encrusted pillars, Kotaro then did a quick scan of the horizon. Seeing ancient buildings and statues of ancient warriors taller than skyscrapers positioned all over the place, including enormous cylindrical and dome-like structures composed entirely of stone, the white-haired woman smirked before marching up the large stone steps.

At the top, beneath the podium of the ancient structure, she found a throne of stone, covered with golden embellishments and surrounded by red drapes. Strolling over to it and surveying the seat for a moment, the woman then sat down on it and sighed.

"Hmm… not as comfortable as I was expecting," the kunoichi exclaimed before grinning up towards the horizon. "Doesn't matter. I only need it for this one move. With this war planet under my control, I'll push the shinobi to their limits and bring this battle to a close. If they fail this final test, I'll crack the world in two and put an end to the age of shinobi!" She then slammed a hand down on the arm rest next to her, which activated a series of ancient runes and engravings that lit up the entire throne, the building, and then the entire planet around her. "I'll send this entire synthetic planet and its infinite amount of weaponry crashing into ours! TRY AND STOP MEEEEEE!"

A loud hum resounded across all of Mars and down to Earth.

As the group situated on the crumbling peninsula looked upon the large red planet, they saw its entire surface from one hemisphere to the next light up with a series of elaborate circles and markings. Resembling a planet powered completely by machines and sprawling cityscapes glowing in the darkness of space, the world suddenly started to move, edging closer and closer towards the earth and beginning to carve away the distance between the two worlds. The sight of the incoming planet had Jiraiya, Kakuzu and everybody else gaze up in sheer terror, as they felt the shadow of the world eclipse their sun, and blanket them in encroaching darkness.

A few moments later, the stone domes and cylinders across the entire planet suddenly cracked open. Like a series of launch pads seen only in sci-fi films, the ancient structures across the surface of Mars exposed a series of stone-shaped pillars, which jutted out from inside the shells and pointed towards the earth- each one resembling a projectile weapon carved from rock. The second they all appeared, all of the weapons lit up with a loud hum, before the grinning Kotaro sitting on the king's throne twisted her fingers across the arm rest.

"FALL!"

All at once, every single cannon across Mars's surface began firing bolts of pure red energy towards Earth, with each projectile targeting the peninsula jutting out of the north of the Elemental Nations. The balls of crackling energy piercing through the planet's atmosphere and began raining down upon the planet like some apocalyptic storm. Within a matter of seconds, the crumbling landmass of the peninsula was bombarded by the equivalent of a hundreds upon hundreds of fully charged Tailed Beast Bombs being dropped randomly across the country, with each one detonating with the force of a nuclear warhead behind each one.

With the countryside around them getting decimated, Jiraiya and everybody else quickly began ducking for cover. Even Minato retreated to a spot beneath an outcrop, where he kept his head down to avoid the sharp debris from pelting him, and could keep his footing from the earth being shaken around him.

What unfolded from there was a scene reminiscent to the end of the world, as that lone section of the Earth was met with fire, brimstone, and an endless rain of fire.

The only ones who stood beneath the rain and held their ground bravely was Kushina and Mikoto- both still cloaked in their shroud of the Kyuubi and the armor of the Susanoo. As geysers of fire similar to volcanoes going off erupted around and tore the land asunder, Kurama gave a low growl as he took a stance, his mouth sizzling as chakra began gathering in his mouth.

Clenching her teeth as another bolt of energy crashed near them and sent rubble barreling into them, Kushina, her eyes glowing red with fury as her body radiated with the cloak of her Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode, then cried out at the top of her lungs. "KURAMA! GIVE YOUR NEXT ATTACK EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! EVERY LAST DROP OF CHAKRA YOU CAN MUSTER!" she screamed. "WE'RE GOING TO BLAST THAT BITCH OUT OF THE SKY!"

" _ **I hear you!"**_ Kurama barked back audibly, quickly slamming his hands into the floor and opening his mouth wide. A split second later, black chakra began swirling and gathering in front of his mouth at high speed, swirling together to form a pulsating ball of explosive energy. _**"But remember that's an ancient super weapon once piloted by one of the archaic Gods of the old world! Not a small mountain I can simply cut in half with one of my tails! I'm no miracle worker!"**_

"Save your sass till after we survive this!" Kushina shouted, before then turning to Mikoto next to her and grinning. "Are you with me?"

In return, the woman with raven black hair smiled and nodded. "All the way." Holding out her hand to her friend, Mikoto clasped Kushina's tightly. After sharing one last look, both women then crouched down atop the Kyuubi's avatar and buried their other hand into his back. Using his neck for extra purchase, the two women also sent their chakra straight into Kurama, helping him to feed his next Bijudama. "We'll give you all the chakra we have left, Kurama! You'll have enough for just one shot!"

" **GOTTCHA!"** the Nine-Tails roared back, his body suddenly gaining weight and burying itself into the floor as he continued to charge his attack. As the Tailed-Beast Ball grew rapidly in size, to the point that Kurama became dwarfed by it, the sphere of blackness also became surrounded by a sheet of white fire, which coated its surface and began to swirl like the surface of a Rasengan- indicating that Mikoto's chakra was now being mixed into its surface.

Seeing the ball of chakra being formed in the center of the peninsula from her seat on Ares's throne on the red planet, Kotaro felt her excitement escalate and her fingers tense up. With another boisterous laugh comparable to that of an excited child's, the woman then swung her hands out and bellowed. "Minato-kun! Kushina-san! Mikoto-chan! Kurama-san! Out of respect for the worthy rivals I've found in this life, I will offer you my mightiest and most powerful attack!" she cried out, conjuring another series of black circles around her. As soon as the seals formed, iron chains suddenly shot out of the formations and wrapped around her forearms, all of which tightened and lit up with orange fire, and seared into her flesh. Once they were secured, two short blades with jagged edged and curved tips attached to the chains dropped into her hands, before quickly igniting with bright orange fire. As the embers licked around Kotaro's body, the woman chuckled, **"** _ **Enyo: Konton no Ha!**_ (Enyo: Blades of Chaos) The personal arms of Ares- named after his sister and lover- capable of drawing on the flames of the sun as their source of power!"

Bringing the blades together and slamming together, the spark formed from then then burst into an inferno directly in front of Kotaro. The fanned flame then morphed into a twisting inferno, which grew and grew at an alarming rate. In a matter of mere seconds, a second third celestial body had suddenly formed between both Earth and Mars, equal in size to the moon. However, due to the fact that the ball was formed out of pure energy and fire, the object looked more like a miniature sun than a satellite, which Kotaro held in front of Mars as the red planet continued a slow descent onto Earth.

Down on the peninsula, Mikoto, Kushina and the others looked on as the sun-like object gleamed into existence before them, which not only cast a blinding light over the area, but also bombarded the surface of the peninsula with an overwhelming heat. While Minato, Jiraiya, Hanzo and Kakuzu took cover, the area surrounding the Susanoo-clad Kurama's location started to boil and melt. Thunderclaps rang out as the atmosphere combusted under the copious amount of radiation now hitting the planet, with the ground that Kushina and Mikoto was standing on transforming into a pool of lava instantaneously, which sizzled and blasted all over.

A fierce wind equivalent to a mega-storm also struck down on the area, sending the streams of lava exploding and washing across the land in all directions. Sheer chaos was brought forth to the country in a single stroke, and this was only from Kotaro charging the next-coming attack with the blades she'd conjured.

As for Kushina, Mikoto and Kurama, the three of them continued to charge their massive tailed beast ball. The object hovered over them like a shield, completely dwarfed by all the cataclysmic and seismic events happening all around them. While the ground shifted and moved between the three warriors, they continued to hold their place, doing everything in their power to keep their charging attack stabilized.

Clenching her teeth as she continued to feed chakra into her familiar, Kushina growled, "Let's finish this!"

With a miniature sun now practically looming over their heads, backed by an entire planet falling towards them, it was easy to see the end was near.

"No weapon or treasure on Earth is hidden from me!" Kotaro shouted as she continued to hold the Chaos Blades forward and the miniature sun in front of her. "Know the mercy of the _Goddess of the Wind_!"

"The heavens will shake beneath this strike!" Mikoto also called out in response, as the Kyuubi finally finished charging his combined Bijudama, which crackled with bolts of orange and white lightning.

"With a single slash, I inflict extinction!" Kotaro called back.

"And the world will reach a new tomorrow!" Kushina cried out, having to clench an eye shut from the strain her body was under from exerting so much chakra at once.

"Vanish with the flash of the sun and be reduced to cinders! _**Ring Discordia:**_ _ **Ékrixi tis Katastrofís!"**_ (Ring Discord: Blast of Destruction) Kotaro cried out, before slicing her blades out and- with a screech of power- sent the ball of flames she'd generated plummeting towards the earth and the peninsula.

The moment the miniature sun roared towards them, Mikoto clenched her hand against Kurama's head and bellowed, "Hear our roar! _**SHIPPU JIRAI- ISO NO KAMIYA!"**_ (Hurricane Thunderclap – Majestic Attire Divine Arrow) With a sonic boom, the Bijudama Kurama was charging suddenly distorted into a spear-like shape, before launching from his mouth with a blast of red energy. Chakra spewed forth from the Kyuubi's mouth as he sent the black and white projectile hurtling up towards the sun.

When the two attacks collided, a deafening roar echoed out that ripped apart what was left of the peninsula and sent tsunamis of lava and earth hurtling in all directions.

Jiraiya was fortunate enough to reverse-summon himself away to avoid the attack, with Hanzo managing to trap himself inside a water prison and be bounced away harmlessly by the shockwaves. Kakuzu on the other hand wrapped himself up in his Jiongu threads and took flight, getting the hell out of rage of the storm that rippled out from the divine arrow clashing with the falling sun.

In a matter of moments, Mikoto and Kushina found themselves locked in an epic chakra tug-of-war match with Kotaro, who continued to push her fireball down towards the peninsula in an effort to swallow the entire area whole. As the struggle continued and the Kyuubi continued to pour energy into his chakra beam, the land at their feet was transformed into slurry, as the heat and high winds incinerated everything lying in their path. Even though they were able to stop the woman's attack from making landfall, this didn't mean the world was avoiding the effects of the clash.

The reality was that two of the strongest ninja in the world- both close to being Godly in strength- were facing off against an arm of an actual God. This much became obvious as the sky and the land around them burned, to the point that everything had transformed into a psychedelic mirage of chaos and destruction, all rolled into one.

Feeling themselves being pushed back along the melting ground beneath them from the sun dropping down on them, Mikoto, Kushina and Kurama strained to keep their attack up. But even with all their combined efforts, the three of them still found themselves losing. Slowly, but surely, the miniature sun started to break further and further through the earth's atmosphere, with the clash itself being seen all across their side of the globe.

"I-It's no good…" Kushina growled as flames and lava licked around them, and the woman continued pouring her chakra into Kurama to keep his attack going. "We can't… push it back! It's too heavy!"

"Don't give up, Kushina-chan! Not now!" Mikoto shouted at her friend, while also feeding more power into Kurama through her connection with him. "If we let this thing touch the ground… Minato-kun will die! Fugaku-kun will die! Everyone will die! The entire world will be split in half!" She then looked up through the raging winds and heat, and allowed her Rinnegan to spin at full glare. "Don't call it quits… NOT UNTIL BOTH OUR BODIES BREAK AND EVERY LAST OUNCE OF OUR CHAKRA WE HAVE LEFT IS SPENT!"

Her cry of defiance was matched by another surge of chakra, which rushed through Kurama's body, up the trail of his blast and to the head of their celestial spear, which increased in size and doubled and power. With a clap of thunder, their attack blasted forward, drilling further into the approaching sun and ever so slightly nudging it back. But despite that push, the giant fireball continued to fall, pushing further and further through the attack, and drawing another hundred meters closer to the ground.

As the ocean beneath them began to boil and the last bits of the coast crumbled into the raging seas, the earth soon began feeling the pressure. A crack in the tectonic plates occurred and more lava bubbled to the surface, with mountains erupting like volcanos near the cataclysm, before they themselves were melted themselves by the heat of the dropping sun.

Their position once again becoming compromised by the faltering ground, Mikoto gritted her teeth as she felt her legs about to give way. As blood began to trickle out of her nose from the pressure, the Susanoo she had erected around Kurama also crumbled slightly and began to fail. _'T-This still isn't… enough…'_ Even her friend Kushina- famed for her bottomless stamina- started to feel the pressure, with the redhead also collapsing forward with a gasp. "It's over… w-we can't…"

"Yes you can!" a male voice behind the woman suddenly spoke.

Both kunoichi looking up with a start, they then looked behind them to see Minato kneeling there, his body battered and burnt in a few places, but otherwise appearing fine. When the two women spotted the blond, they then felt him move forward and place his hands on their backs.

"We can do it, Mikoto-chan. Kushina-chan." With his grip set, the Jonin smiled at them and nodded. "The three of us can beat her."

After gaping at seeing the man next to them and realizing he'd teleported to them via the seal on Kushina's stomach, the two women grinned happily and nodded. The pair then turned to glare ahead of them, witnessing the sun inch ever closer, and their combined blast with Kurama falter a little.

Just when it seemed like their efforts would collapse, Minato gave a grunt and powered-up into his pseudo-Six Paths Sage Mode- body turning white with black line markings and eyes flashing yellow. The instant he transformed, his overwhelming chakra pooled into Kushina and Mikoto, the two women instantly feeling their energy return to them and their power skyrocket. When that happened, they acted.

" _TOGETHER_!" Minato roared, before the three Jonin let out a collective battle cry and sent all of their accumulated energy straight into Kurama. **"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"**

In an instant, not only did Kurama's chakra cloak blaze into life like a new start, the Susanoo armor also rejuvenated to a full cowl, and an enormous wave of chakra erupted from the fox's mouth and roared up the beam. In the blink of an eye the surge of energy hit the spear of their attack and unleashed such an overwhelming amount of force that it tore through the miniature sun, and practically shattered the attack into embers in one go. From there, the trio's beam shot up into the vacuum of space towards the planet Mars, where Kotaro was still seated atop her throne with her blades extended.

When the woman saw her attack disintegrate and saw the gleam of the white beam appear in the sky of her summoned world, the white-haired woman gaped for a moment before smiling in delight.

"Nice…" she whispered. Feeling the light fall over her, the woman lowered her blades and closed her eyes.

A split second later, the woman was hit square on by the gigantic blast, which not only swallowed her up, but punched straight through the planet. In a heartbeat, the celestial arrow tore through the war world and shattered it, causing the insides to explode and the surface of the red satellite to rupture. Explosions took place all across the planet as the beam tore through it, sending rubble and chunks of land blasting into the vacuum of space and scattering across the earth's thermosphere.

About a full minute after being hit by the devastating blast and fracturing under its force, the planet shimmered in place. As bits of it cascaded down to earth, the summoned Mars eventually vanished into nothing, returning back to the time-zone it'd come from.

As the last traces of the combusting world echoed into oblivion and the trail of light left by the colossal arrow vanished, the cataclysms taking place down on earth dissipated as well.

Down on the remains of the peninsula, the air cooled and the surface calmed. The storms brought on by the battle faded onto the ether, and the land- now reduced to nothing but a few large islands sitting amidst an ocean- stood wounded amidst the afterglow of the chaos. It was almost like that entire portion of the planet had been subjected to an extinction level event that'd taken place over a few years, endured several centuries of recovery, and then concluded with a peaceful rejuvenation of its resources and locations, all in the span of an hour.

As for Kushina, Mikoto and Minato- the three of them were absolutely spent. With both Kurama and his Susanoo armor disappearing on the wind, the three Jonin were deposited upon the island sanctuary that they'd managed to remain on during their epic chakra struggle with Kotaro. When their feet touched down on it, the team collapsed together on the ground. Falling flat on their backs and in each other's arms, a vest-less Minato, and a battered Mikoto and Kushina lay in a heap, panting and gasping sweet gulps of air.

All three of them were covered from head to toe in bruises and burns, and all of the tools that they once started out with had pretty much evaporated into nothing. The only reason they still had the shredded clothes on them to begin with was because they'd been shielded by their respective chakra cloaks, but even then the shirts and fishnet armor they had on them were in ruins.

In short, the Konoha trio was done.

After lying there on the floor for about ten minutes, heaving in sweet gulps of air, they eventually cracked open their eyes and looked at one another. Upon seeing the tired states of the women resting on his arms, and the disheveled appearance of himself reflected in their eyes, Minato and the two lovely ladies in his life broke out into weak fits of laughter, which then exploded into a louder round of laughs.

Rolling over and onto his chest, Kushina slapped the man on the chest and groaned when her body responded with a complaint in the form of pain. "Ow-hahaha… that was just nuts…"

"You're telling me," Mikoto laughed back, wincing a little when her chest muscles ached with her breaths. "Ah… man… everything hurts… including my teeth…" When she opened her eyes to peer across at Minato, whom she could see was still smiling, the woman's Rinnegan slowly reverted back to their Sharingan states, and then back to black. "So then… is that mission accomplished?"

"Yeah. It is," Minato answered, taking another deep breath as he wrapped an arm around the exhausted Mikoto's waist and ran his hand up Kushina's smooth back. Feeling relieved that he could still feel anything at this point, the blond man shook his head before remarking in a raspy voice, "Honestly… after all of the crap we've been through over the last three weeks… I seriously think the three of us could use a vacation." It was a statement that the two kunoichi beside him agreed wholeheartedly with.

After remaining there for about half an hour, enjoying one another's company, the three of them soon sensed the arrival of three other people to their island. Above the sounds of the waves crashing into shore, the three craned their heads and looked across to see the ninja Hanzo limping towards them. The blond man clutching his wounded arm from an obviously rough landing, the group of Konoha Nin also saw Jiraiya pop back into their reality from Mount Myoboku- covered in blood and bruises, and looking as though he was sporting a couple of broken ribs.

The last to show up was Kakuzu, who managed to float down from the sky after tracking the group to the island.

When the squad saw their allies assemble around them, the three wounded and fatigue-racked ninja on the floor slowly sat up and faced the new arrivals with smiles on their faces and a glow in their eyes.

Jiraiya, back in his normal form, smiled down at his student and his two girlfriends, "Having fun?"

"More or less," Minato chuckled, at the same time his wife Kushina rested her head against his shoulder and Mikoto continued holding onto his arm. "Aside from the incredible pain in our bodies and having absolutely no chakra left to speak of… everything's just peachy…"

"But you managed to kill Kotaro? Right?" Hanzo spoke up, his voice also raspy from exhaustion and bearing its signature deep, gruff tone. "You managed to finish her off?"

"I think so," Mikoto replied, while at the same time looking across at the legendary rain ninja to see him glaring at them with concern in his eyes. "After that attack… there's absolutely no way she's coming back…"

"Are you positively sure about that?" Kakuzu asked, his body having reverted back to a normal state, with his metallic threads helping to hold any open wounds he'd suffered closed.

"Even if she's somehow alive, I doubt we'll be seeing her anytime soon," Kushina stated, sitting up off of her husband to smile at the three male ninja standing around them and listening to their reports intently. "After taking an attack like that head-on, she's definitely missing all of her skin, several organs, and a couple of limbs. There's no doubt about that."

"It's more of an inconvenience than a serious issue, really."

The sound of a seventh voice echoing over them had the six ninja gathered on that match of land freeze in shock, with the group slowly turning their heads to look up at the top of the hill in front of them. When their eyes landed on the peak of the cliff overlooking their small coast, all their faces twisted into expressions of horror and disbelief when they spotted none other than Fuma Kotaro standing there and smiling down at them.

Only… she wasn't exactly in one piece.

Aside from still having most of her hair, clothes, and skin intact, the woman's entire right side and been burnt to a crisp, she was missing her entire right arm all the way up to her shoulder, an entire chunk of her right side, and a whole right leg. What's more, because of the way she'd been cooked by what was assumedly the attack fired at her by Minato and his two lovers, a lot of her body was covered in burns and ash, with the entire right side of her kimono entirely shredded. Despite all of this- and the fact she only had one leg- the kunoichi was still standing there as if nothing had even happened to her.

To Mikoto and the others, it was like they were watching the return of a monster from a nightmare.

Inhaling deeply through a completely destroyed lung, the white-haired woman with one eye permanently closed grinned at the stunned group in a playful manner. "But I have to say… that was one hell of a move the three of you pulled against me. The hardest hit I can remember taking in a _long_ time. However, if you believe this fight is over and done with… think again." She then craned her head to the side when she saw the group shuffle back in alarm, before slowly reaching up with her still functioning left arm. "Give me a moment while I… **slip** into something a little more comfortable."

Through their shock and bewilderment, the group of six exhausted elite ninja then watched in morbid terror as the woman grabbed the top of her head with her burnt left hand, and practically ripped her entire face off. A light green glow then erupted from the point her head split down the middle, a few seconds before the rest of her skin peeled away like a banana and flopped to the sides like the pieces of a glorified costume. The moment the skin and clothes fell to the ground uselessly, the light emitting from the body faded.

Then, from the husk of the discarded flesh, a newly regenerated and completely naked Fuma Kotaro stepped out into the open. Inhaling deeply as her long white hair fell over her breasts, the curvaceous, buxom white woman gave a light groan and gave a big stretch, in a manner similar to a person who'd just stepped out of bed. After feeling her muscles creak under the strain, the kunoichi then opened her rejuvenated eyes and smirked down at the group standing in the clearing below- all of whom were too stumped to respond to the fact that she was in the buff.

" _ **Kagero Ninpo: Sanagi Saisei,"**_ (Antlion Ninja Arts: Chrysalis Rebirth) Kotaro said with a shrug, "The last and perfected technique of my adoptive family, the Fuma Clan. An ingenious little invention of my own design." Looking down at her left arm and then at her breasts, which she cheekily groped for a moment to check that they were still full and firm, the woman then looked at her right leg and flexed it for a moment. "Hm… you know, this might sound weird… but I kind of liked the old leg better. Oh well. I guess I'm gonna have to break it in." After doing a quick system's check, the naked kunoichi then took on a thoughtful look. "Now… what was I going to do again?"

When she saw Minato, Mikoto and Kushina struggle to their feet, and saw Hanzo and Jiraiya take fighting stances, Kotaro was then hit with a sense of sudden realization, and beamed.

"Oh yeah. That's right." She then snapped her fingers and conjured up another wall of black summoning circles in the air directly behind her, all of which then summoned over a hundred blades and shuriken from them, and pointed them directly down at the group of ninja assembled below. " _Yuko_."

Then, from Mikoto's point of view, there was a blinding flash…

And then blackness…

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What I found annoying about Naruto canon is that when Kishimoto included the use of God characters, the only genuine one he used was Kaguya. The others were just beefed up versions of storybook characters from fairytales e.g. Kintaro, Momotaro, and Urashiki etc.

Well, since I'm acknowledging the use of other cultures and mythologies, I'm going to be using the actual Gods from actual mythologies in stories.

There's nothing you'll find that's made up in this fic. Every attack from a different culture is done in the language of that culture, and if you'll notice every society I have listed is a parody of a culture from our world. So while the Naruto world is a reflection of our world, it's not a perfect reflection.

For those of you smart enough to figure out the mythologies used and the people from history reference, please mention in the review section. I'd like to see how knowledgeable some people are.

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (Part IV):**

Name: **Kotaro Fuma, aka Kotaro of the Windmill Blade**

Epithet(s): ' _Kotaro of the Windmill Blade'_ , _Kotaro the Greedy, Goddess of the Wind, "The Wind Demon", "Kotaro the Untraceable", "Street Bandit"_

Gender: Female

Clan: Fuma

Occupation: Kunoichi (former), Mercenary, Freelancer

Hair Color: White (originally black)

Age: 36 (first appearance)

Academy Grad Age: Unknown

Jonin Grad Age: Unknown

Nature Type(s): Wind & Vector

Specialization(s): Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Shurikenjitsu, Kenjutsu, Fuinjutsu

Missions Completed:

D-Rank: 312

C-Rank: 298

B-Rank: 186

A-Rank: Unknown

S-Rank: Unknown

History: (Unknown to 1603AD) _Fuma Kotaro_ was the name adopted by the leader of the ninja Fuma Clan during the Sengoku era of Feudal Japan. According to some records, the man's original name was Kazama. The clan was based in the Kanagawa Prefecture, specializing in horseback guerrilla warfare and naval espionage. Fuma Kotaro was the fifth and the best known of the Fuma Clan leaders, who became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 Rappa battle disruptors, divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, burglars, and thieves. A popular but fictional story says that in 1596, Kotaro was responsible for the death of **Hanzo Hattori** , a famous samurai in the service of **Tokugawa Ieyasu**. However, while the original Fuma Kotaro may not have been responsible for his death, it may have been one of the other Fuma Clan leaders sharing the same name as him that did. Fuma Kotaro's name literally translates to "Wind Demon" and in most adaptations, he is depicted as being incredibly powerful and supernatural in strength.

In _Naruto: Maoyū_ , Fuma Kotaro shares many traits with her real-life counterpart, including the character's occupation, legend, and charisma.

Each generation of legendary shinobi has had at least one monster that was feared and scorned by the nations and villages in the world during their respective eras. Miroku had Moryu. The Sage of Six Paths had Satori. Hashirama Senju had Madara Uchiha. Tobirama Senju had the Gold and Silver Brothers. The Sannin had Hanzo of the Salamander. And Minato Namikaze had Fuma Kotaro.

During her childhood, Kotaro was an orphan living on the streets of what was formerly the _Land of Ricefields_. Without a first name or even a clan to lay claim to, the child made a living stealing from strangers, restaurants and stores in order to survive. Having been caught multiple times by the law and escaped from their custody even more times, Kotaro quickly learned how to act stealthily, as well as how to perfect her art of theft, pickpocketing, and breaking and entering.

After months of living in the gutters, the wayward girl was later adopted by the then leader of the _**Fuma Clan**_ family- who she'd attempted to rob and was caught trying to steal his wallet. Taking pity on the urchin, the middle-aged shinobi took her in and raised her as one of their own, completely unaware of the demon he was about to release upon the shinobi world.

Under his guidance, Kotaro was transformed from a nameless vagrant into a superb kunoichi; displaying the innate ability for accelerated learning by mastering all of the clan's techniques, fighting styles, and forbidden jutsu faster than any one of their main branch family members. She became so strong and so favored by her seniors that she was eventually selected to become the clan's heir, an honor that she respectfully declined. Eventually, after becoming a fully-fledged ninja, Kotaro left the family, determined to forge a path of her own.

Unable to rid herself of her former thieving lifestyle, Kotaro continued this career as a kunoichi, creating her own gang from members of the Fuma Clan who chose to follow her, and becoming the most notorious bandit and thief on the continent. In the years to follow, her skills in infiltrating villages, fortresses, castles, vaults and strongholds were polished to perfection, to the point there wasn't a single institute capable of keeping the rogue ninja in or out.

In time, Kotaro's skills and reputation in the world grew, as did her thirst for more daring heists and interests in techniques.

The kunoichi's obsession with thievery quickly turned from gold and riches to seizing forbidden and incredibly powerful jutsu. It wasn't long before the woman was breaking into clan strongholds across multiple nations to steal information on their most prized and sensitive kinjutsu. Among the villages she infiltrated, these included _Uzushiogakure_ \- which she destroyed- _Konohagakure_ , _Sunagakure_ , _Takigakure_ , _Amegakure_ , and many others, where she was able to walk away with a multitude of powerful and forbidden techniques. Due to her laundry list of village heists, she soon became known as "Kotaro the Untraceable" and "Kotaro the Greedy", earning her an S-Rank classification in the bingo book and a bounty on her head of 100,000,000 double ryo.

Before the _Third Great Shinobi World War_ , Kotaro's adventures and ambitions led her to the discovery of yet another treasure; the _**Cintamani**_ , also known as the "Hoju" or "Wish Fulfilling Jewel", which was an artifact that predated both Kaguya and Homura. Said to be the equivalent of a philosopher's stone, this object allowed the user to wish for anything they so desire: be it enlightenment, unlimited power, or to rule the world. Kotaro began gathering the pieces of this sacred jewel from multiple regions ( _ **Naruto: Maoyu – The Wind Demon**_ ). She stole the first stone from the daimyo's jewelry box after infiltrating the Land of Fire's capital- defeating all of the 12 Guardian Ninja in the process- the second one from Iwagakure's _Stone Monument_ Chamber while defeating the Tsukikage as well as his defense forces effortlessly, the cradle from the Otsutsuki Clan's hideout on the moon, and the last piece from Hanzo Hattori's daughter- whom she had her subordinates kidnap. When the villages found out what she was attempting to do, Konoha dispatched Minato, Jiraiya, Kushina and Mikoto to stop her, while an interested third party hired Kakuzu to capture her.

Kotaro eventually succeeds in bringing the stones together and absorbing them into her body. She defeats the Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure and Sunagakure armies in pursuit of her- a total of ten thousand shinobi, two Kage, and two biju- before then moving to the North of the continent to wait for the "other" shinobi to arrive.

Eventually Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, Mikoto, Kakuzu and Hanzo of the Salamander confronted Kotaro in the middle of the northern peninsula, where the latter demanded her to return his daughter. It is here the woman challenged the brave shinobi and proceeded to battle them in a clash that would warp the face of the entire continent. After a whole twelve days of straight up fighting between the two groups, which lead to the disappearance of the entire peninsula, Kotaro ended up defeating all six shinobi with ease. Much to the defeated team's surprise, she willingly decided to go to prison and surrendered to them, wanting to wait for a time when a real "challenger" would come to face her at the end of the world- which she saw would occur in exactly eighteen years. She has been locked up in _**Hozuki Castle**_ ever since.

During the height of her power, Fuma Kotaro was regarded as the most powerful and dangerous kunoichi in history, with a talent that far surpassed Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. She was so talented that she was capable of learning complex jutsu at an accelerated rate and even perform said techniques during a battle after only glimpsing them once. She was even labeled the **perfect kunoichi** by all those who knew her name. In fact, her power was so great in her prime that not only did her actions prompt Hagoromo Otsutsuki to leave the time void where his spirit was residing to confront her directly, but she also claimed that she was more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Momoshiki Otsutsuki, as well as the Sage of Six Paths in his present, omnipotent state.

A superb combatant and masterful tactician, Kotaro could infiltrate any village no matter how heavily fortified or guarded it was, on her own terms, undetected, and through brute force if necessary. Her physical strength is also in an entirely different class of its own compared to most other shinobi- able to bring down multiple opponents in hand to hand, break bones with a single hit, and shatter stone with a kick. With her superfluous and graceful fighting style, Kotaro could ward off dozens of adversaries simultaneously, using spins, twirls, palm strikes and kicks in time with her dance-like movements. Her durability is also insane, enabling her to survive being thrown through mountains and walls without receiving a single scratch. She's even been able to withstand a fully-charged _**Bijudama**_ (Tailed Beast Ball) head on and deflect it with her bare hands, redirect arrows fired from a _**Perfect Susanoo**_ \- which are next to impossible to evade- and wield a _**Gudodama**_ (Truth-Seeking Ball) created by someone using Six Paths Sage Mode, which are capable of disintegrating anything that possesses chakra that they come into contact with. What's more, she is also tough enough to physically resist poisons and genjutsu, as she is able to withstand Hanzo Hattori's most toxic and acidic gas clouds, as well as Mikoto Uchiha's illusions, which she learned from her husband Fugaku.

Kotaro is a master of using ninja tools- particularly the _Fuma Shuriken_ \- which she uses as both a throwing and melee weapon. Even after throwing a shuriken, she can willfully redirect it and change its flight pattern, allowing her to boomerang her throws in unexpected ways. Being undefeated in wielding shuriken, Kotaro possesses a near uncountable amount of kunai and throwing stars on her person. Concealing most of the weapons on her body, the battle kimono she wears is actually made up of blades, with multiple large Fuma Shuriken concealed, disguised and worn around her waist and acting as defense. She also uses the same blades to fly, able to reach blazing speeds and altitudes by having them act as propellers- even though she doesn't often need to. What's more, when she needs more, Kotaro can summon them from seals on her dress and body.

Her chakra levels and stamina are also absurdly high. Not only could she effortlessly fight and defeat an entire army of ten thousand shinobi- including two fully trained jinchuriki and their biju- without tiring and using mostly hand-to-hand combat, but she could also fight against six Kage level shinobi for twelve days straight without even receiving a single scratch- one of whom was using _Six Paths Sage Mode_ granted to him by an Uzumaki kinjutsu, two using regular Sage Mode (which places them in an entirely different league of shinobi alone), another the _Nine-Tails Chakra Mode_ , the other a body-modifying kinjutsu, and one a _Perfect Susanoo_ and the Rinnegan. She is also capable of using multiple high-level techniques in rapid succession without exhausting herself, and decimate entire landscapes for miles.

All of this amounts to Kotaro literally going by her namesake as 'Wind Demon'- a human who transformed herself into a devil incarnate.

Aside from knowing all of the Fuma Clan's most dangerous jutsu, there are three abilities in her arsenal that make Kotaro invincible, even to someone of the Sage of Six Paths' level.

The _first_ , and one of her most powerful techniques, is a forbidden jutsu that she stole from the Uzumaki Clan called _**Fuin Kai: Ryujin no To**_ (Seal Release: Tower of the Dragon God). It is a space-time technique developed specifically by the clan in their attempt to 'reach God and a space no mortal could ever go', which enables the user to conjure seals and summon any weapon, object or tool that they wish without consequence- including all the original weapons of the _Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist_ , the Susanoo armor, the five sacred treasures of the Sage of Six Paths, and every other object throughout history. Even when not in the user's actual possession- or even if the weapon has been destroyed long ago- this space-time technique allows the person who wields it to summon the object regardless of time or place. Furthermore, the amount of tools that can be summoned are infinite, allowing the user to throw them in continuous, unending streams and launch them with such force that they explode on impact. Even when the weapons are destroyed, they can be summoned repeatedly. Kotaro is very accurate with this technique and, though she primarily uses them for weapons, she can technically summon _anything_ from the _Ryujin_. This isn't just limited to weapons once used by legendary figures, demi-Gods and Gods that once came to earth millennia ago. She was even able to summon the entire planet _**Mars**_ \- which was actually a planet-sized superweapon developed by the mythological Greek God of War _ **Ares**_ thousands of years ago to invade and wage war against _Olympus_ – the _Realm of the Gods_ \- and _Tartarus_ \- the _Realm of the Dead_.

Her _second_ asset is her ability to control vectors specially dubbed _**Hokoton**_ (Direction Release), a completely separate and evolved nature transformation she discovered through training with a 'unique' form of chakra. This form of chakra manipulation is incredibly versatile, enabling her to control wind, pressure, atmosphere, gravity, and vacuums, and use them as elements in battle. It also acts as a continuous defense, deflecting projectiles, explosions, blasts, and providing her an invisible shield against dozens, if not thousands of adversaries. Her mastery over vectors allows her to deflect anything thrown at her, making her virtually untouchable. Due to her usage of this technique, the sun's light rarely touches her skin, explaining why her hair is white and her skin is so pale. Kotaro can also summon so much wind that she can change the weather and climate patterns of a region drastically. By concentrating it around a single point, she can create a mass of energy similar to plasma, with the capacity of wiping an entire city off of the face of the map. She can also use it to fly and levitate her weapons, as well as distort an object as big as the moon and rip chunks of it out of orbit. Furthermore, because of its evolved nature, the _Hokoton_ is unaffected by the chakra canceling abilities of the Otsutsuki and cannot be absorbed, as Kotaro can literally control the direction of all things associated with it.

Her third and final ability is a technique called _**Kagero Ninpo: Sanagi Saisei**_ (Antlion Ninja Arts: Chrysalis Rebirth), which is the last forbidden technique created by the Fuma Clan. A difficult technique to master, this jutsu allows the user to completely heal or regenerate their vitality and chakra. Whenever she takes debilitating, even fatal damage, Kotaro is able to heal from it by discarding her flesh in the form of a chrysalis, similar to an insect malting. When the damaged layer disappears, every single wound she's taken is mended, as she's practically discarding one body for a 'more evolved one'. (It is the advanced and perfected technique used by Kagero from the Naruto filler _**Land of Ricefields Arc**_ )

While Kotaro always craved a worthy challenger, there are a handful of warriors capable of taking her on and beating her in a straight up battle. _The Shadow_ , also known as Scathach, is one such person, along with the wandering monk Xuanzang Sanzang, the samurai Okita Souji, and the immortal knight Siegfried. On top of this, when learning of the future events to come from the _Cintamani_ , Kotaro expressed terror at the prospect of facing the _Four Dragon Kings_ \- beings said to herald the coming of the apocalypse- as well as Oda Nobunaga, who she said was easily several times more powerful than she is.

On this basis, while Kishimoto "claimed" that Sage of Six Paths Madara was comparable in strength to Saiyan Arc Nappa (DBZ) (yes, I know, this is a false rumor, but it's not completely unbelievable, even though Nappa can incinerate Madara and the entire planet he's standing on with a wave of his finger), Fuma Kotaro is comparable in strength to Saiyan Arc Vegeta (DBZ), with Oda Nobunaga being comparable to first form Frieza.


	25. Chunin Exam Arc I - New Goals Part II

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _New Goals Part II_

 _(The next morning…)_

The next thing Mikoto became aware of after what felt like a few minutes of blackness, was the sounds of waves crashing nearby and the cawing of seagulls overhead. Eyes flickering open to a bright light beating down on her from above, the Uchiha matriarch saw that she was lying on a flat bed of rock, with the ocean laid out beside her. Surprised at the sight, the raven haired woman gave a low groan as she slowly sat up, where she was able to see that she was lying just a few feet from the open water.

When she looked around, she saw that she was in fact currently resting on a tiny rock sitting in the middle of a bay, with nothing but a calm sea stretching from one horizon to the next. Spotting the telltale signs of land in the distance, she then surveyed the rest of the small landmass she was situated on, where she quickly noticed she wasn't alone.

Lying unconscious on another bed of rock nearby was the battered form of Jiraiya and the shinobi Hanzo lying propped up against a rock next to him. On the other side of where she was lying, she saw the bounty hunter Kakuzu also lying unconscious, and looking as though several of the stiches holding his body parts together had come undone. And, lying on the ground right next to her, she saw her best friends and lovers Kushina and Minato, the latter of whom was also sitting up and staring across at her.

Realizing that they were still alive, the battered duo- the male of whom had completely lost his shirt and the Uchiha having lost all of her ANBU armor, leaving her in only her black shirt and shorts- then scanned the speck of land they were resting on. By the time Kushina started to wake up, the pair saw a large boulder standing next to them, and sitting at the top of it was none other than Fuma Kotaro herself.

The woman, now wearing a new purple kimono and sash, was sitting barefoot on the mound and gazing across the ocean in a forlorn manner. Her hair catching on the light breeze that washed over them as the sea gently rocked against the rock they were perched on, the rogue kunoichi gave the clear impression that she had been sitting there the entire time and waiting for the group of ninja to regain consciousness.

As to why she hadn't killed them after knocking them unconscious however remained a complete mystery to Minato and Mikoto. When Kushina, Jiraiya, Kakuzu, and Hanzo also returned to the land of the living approximately ten minutes later and found themselves still in relatively one piece, all four of them were also struck with the same perplexing question, and turned their attention to their would-be foe.

It also didn't escape their notice that the moon, which had previously been shattered into countless pieces during their fight, was also back in the sky, floating in orbit of the earth, and looking as good as new.

Sensing that all of her opponents were awake, the white haired demon of a kunoichi turned and gazed down at the troop gathered beneath her.

"So… umm…" Jiraiya began rather awkwardly, while at the same time looking between his compatriots through a swollen eye and a bludgeoned face, "Who copped it first?"

Kakuzu frowned while glaring across at the white haired man. "Really? That's your first question?"

"Hey, I'm just curious as to what the score was," the Sannin replied while holding both his hands up defensively in his characteristic manner. "Considering I can't remember a damn thing after blacking out, I think a little bit of insight as to what happened might be useful."

"We lost. That's what the score is," Hanzo replied, at the same time giving the shinobi across from him a firm glare. "It doesn't take someone who is mathematically sound to figure it out."

"I think… Hanzo ended up passing out first… then Kushina," Mikoto said, which in turn drew the attention of the others. "After that… I think Jiraiya got taken out… followed by me."

"Hmm… that sounds about right," the Sannin replied, while at the same time hanging his head miserably. Honestly, that entire last bit of the fight was pretty much a blur to him. The same could be said for all the others, who were all very thankful that they were alive right now.

"W-Where the heck are we?" Kushina asked, not at all recognizing the ocean they were in, based on the land she could see in the distance.

Kotaro in return smiled, "You're in the country formerly known as _Tani no Kuni_ (Land of Valleys). The same headland that we were fighting on for the last twelve days straight."

Glancing around once again, Jiraiya then quickly looked back at the woman in confusion. "There… isn't any land here though." All he could see was water.

"That's because the country has been completely and utterly destroyed," Kotaro replied, at the same time looking across the ocean once more after seeing the bewildered looks come over the group's faces. "Our battle managed to crack the surface of the planet… and sink the entire peninsula into the ocean. Now- where there was once hundreds of square miles of rich, pristine mountains and valleys- there is now only an ocean. Thankfully there weren't any farms or villages on the cape that got caught up in our battle."

Hanzo frowned from where he was- kneeling on the ground and nursing his broken arm. "How can you be sure that no one else ended up getting killed during our skirmish?" After all, there opponent had practically been cutting entire valleys in half with her vectors, dropping meteorites like they were tennis balls, and throwing jutsu that were capable of leveling entire mountain ranges.

As a result, all that was left of the country they were once traveling through was this one, little rock sitting in the middle of what he assumed was a massive inlet or channel.

Kotaro smirked at the legendary ninja's statement, "I wouldn't have fought any of you had I known there were any bystanders wandering the area. Trust me. Nobody else in the surrounding precincts got hurt." She then looked back down at them in amusement. "Though I can assume a few of the villages nearby may have been a little bit shaken up from the chaos. Particularly those settlements residing in the vicinity of _Ta no Kuni_ (Land of Ricefields)."

"Hmph. That much is to be expected," Kakuzu grunted, at the same time using his threads to draw back in his slightly detached arm and promptly sewing it into place. After checking to make sure all his other appendages were back in their correct places, the dark-skinned man with green eyes and wearing the grey uniform glared back up at the woman. "So… seeing as how we were unable to stop you… what happens now?"

It was a question the group had been dreading. After fighting against the woman for twelve days straight and using up every technique they had in their arsenal to try and bring her down, they had all ended up being beaten by her. Hell, even after all their efforts, Kotaro didn't even have a scratch on her, due mostly in part to her clan's infamous mayfly regeneration technique that she helped to create.

Never in their lives had they expected to face someone so powerful. They even managed to surprise themselves with how strong all of them managed to become during the battle, and what they were able to pull off. However, while they were all lying on the ground and suffering from multiple injuries, their foe remained in perfect condition. She didn't even look tired in the least.

After Kakuzu bravely posed his rather disgruntled question, Kotaro felt her smile vanish a little as she looked down for a moment in thought. "The reason why I didn't finish the six of you off, is because I never intended to kill anyone in this battle. Not over something like this. All of the people I ended up facing over the last three weeks- _Iwagakure_ , the shinobi armies, the Otsutsuki- I only meant to injure them. Not kill them. Anything more would've been stepping outside of my rules."

A confused look fell over all the faces of those who were listening, with Minato being the first to speak. "Why?"

"It's never been in my nature to kill people. Even with all the power I have in my possession," Kotaro responded, at the same time looking back up at the group before her. "There's no honor in senselessly slaughtering others who don't wield the same tools or gifts that you do."

Despite her explanations, Hanzo couldn't help but frown, "And yet your subordinates- the _Crimson Stars_ \- didn't hesitate in killing any of their opponents." He'd heard of the stories when going into the fight with Fuma Kotaro. Apparently her crew had had a wicked good time taking out everyone they'd come across.

Expecting this statement, the kunoichi perched up on the rock answered in kind, "That was _their_ choice. I wasn't going to stop my subordinates from having their fun and doing what they did best as ninja," Kotaro said, at the same time turning her golden eyes towards the shinobi from _Amegakure_ , whom she knew still held an incredible grudge towards her. "Unlike other shinobi, I never expected my students to blindly follow my whims like slaves. When they joined me on my adventure, I gave them the freedom to operate and conduct their missions based on their own judgements, unless ordered otherwise. That means anyone that they killed in the last month is on their heads."

"You expect us to believe that?" Kakuzu asked distrustfully.

"Believe what you want to believe," Kotaro answered with a frown. "I only wanted to mention that I am a woman of honor. Not a soulless monster." She then fixed her attention back on Minato and the others. "As for the _**Cintamani**_ (Wish-Fulfilling Jewel), my true goal was never to use its power to rule the world, destroy it, or wish for anything unreasonable with its power. Any requests like that would've been completely empty and lacking aspiration."

Mikoto tilted her head at the female, "Then what was the reason you went after the stone?" This was a question that was on everybody's heads when it came to the rogue ninja's motives. "Why did you seek out the artifact in the first place?"

At this, Kotaro's expression became serious once again. "There was a prophecy made long ago to Hagoromo Otsutsuki by the Great Toad Sage Gamamaru, which I found inscribed on a handful of scrolls that I stole years ago from the Senju and Uzumaki Clan vaults scattered across the continent. The premonition listed and rewritten upon these sealed documents said that a young man with golden hair and whiskers would appear one day, and bring about a great change to the world… one that was greater than any seen in the last ten thousand years."

Hearing this information had Jiraiya's head perk up. "Hang on. I think I heard about this prophecy as well." Lowering his gaze when he sensed the others glance in his direction, the Sannin quickly searched out the memories in his head for verification. "Yes. Back in Mount Myoboku… Shima and Fukasaku showed me some of the old prophecies the Great Toad Sage made in his youth, which were recorded on a stone tablet in the forest. I believe one of them was that prophecy…"

Minato, also thinking back to his training on the mountain not that long ago, scrunched his brow up seriously as he then looked over at Mikoto. "They showed me that one too. The tablet surrounded by the frog statues. All of the Great Sage's most prominent stories were written there."

"Since the two of you seem to know what I'm talking about, it should be worth mentioning that the prophecy made by the great seer is actually incomplete," Fuma stated, drawing the group's attention back up to her. When they saw the woman adjust her position on the rock, with Mikoto and Kushina doing the same, the white-haired rogue continued. "The reason why prophecies and fortunes are so vague in the first place is because they are designed with the intent to encompass multiple timelines and outcomes. So, in order to figure out what the prophecy actually entailed, I sought out the _Cintamani_ to ask the stone to reveal to me who the person in this premonition was… and whether my fate is tied to them in any way. I prayed discovering the truth would give me validation… and explain the reason why I am here."

Kushina, finding the woman's explanations intriguing, stood up from where she was sitting. "And? What did you find?"

A grave shadow then fell over the powerful Kotaro's face. "More than I was expecting."

Hanzo in turn couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at this. "You sound disappointed."

"More like _terrified_ ," Kotaro informed, which in turn caused the ears on all six shinobi to perk up. "The Cintamani showed me the prophecy in its entirety. It says that in several years' time, a warrior with hair as red as fire and eyes blazing like two golden suns named Oda Nobunaga- _The Great Unifier_ \- will conquer the world and wage a war against the Gods. His actions will not only shake the heavens across every single realm and pantheon in creation, but also simultaneously bring about every apocalypse ever predicted. The end of days. The absolute destruction of life. _Ragnarok_. Everything that was and ever shall be will come to a complete end… and darkness will cover the multiverse in all its facets."

"Bullshit," Kakuzu replied loudly and with an angry look in his eyes. "A person bringing about the destruction of the world to that level? That's impossible."

"Impossible, huh?" Kotaro stated while glancing across at the wounded bounty hunter. "Centuries ago, the _Rabid_ _Goddess_ _ **Kaguya Otsutsuki**_ almost brought an end to all sentient life on this continent by absorbing all natural energy from her surroundings and enslaving its human inhabitants. Thousands of years before her, the Aztec _God of Death_ _**Kimi**_ invaded the earth and attempted to devour all the humans presiding on it, as well as blot out the stars in the sky. I myself almost incinerated the entire planet with an ancient super weapon built by one of the Macedonian Gods- and yet you find a prophecy of the end of the world unbelievable?" When she saw the man with stitches recoil at her words, the white-haired kunoichi sighed and brought up her right hand. "If you wish to glimpse what I did… then stand there and don't move."

The six figures, most of whom were now standing, then watched with both caution and interest as Kotaro focused for a moment. After a moment, the woman conjured from the flesh of her palm the _Cintamani_ from her body. With its three white Hoju stones perched atop the golden lotus cradle in full bloom, the woman allowed it to rest in her hand for a moment, before then whispering to it in a foreign language.

When the ethereal glow surrounding the stones intensified, the shinobi and kunoichi down on the tiny speck of beach all gasped in alarm when their heads suddenly became filled with images and scenes of a not-too-distant future. Expressions of horror quickly came over Minato and everybody else's faces when they saw familiar homes and villages engulfed in oceans of fire, broken planets colliding with one another over the horizon, black clouds choking the sky, the massive white universal tree of Yggdrasil disintegrating and crashing into the earth- something neither of them even knew existed before then- and dimensional tears in the sky leading to other worlds, also engulfed in flames.

Bodies were piled up all across the landscape, riders in black armor atop winged horses were fighting against other soldiers in black uniforms on the ground, and amidst all this chaos, atop an enormous pile of bodies of shinobi and other warriors, guarded by a plethora of armored soldiers armed with rifles, was a figure wearing a black military uniform and cape.

Their long, spiky red hair that grew as far down as their hips and shone brightly, waved on a fierce wind, along with the black general's jacket over their shoulders. With their hands propped atop a long katana that was standing in front of them like a staff, the figure's back remained turned to the shinobi viewing the premonition. As chaos and carnage continued to erupt around them, the red haired figure then spun around.

With their face over-shadowed by darkness, but their eyes glowing like hot irons, the figure sneered murderously at Minato, Mikoto and the others, before drawing their sword and slashing out at them.

The flash of the silver blade ended the nightmarish vision, sending the six shinobi stumbling out of their dazes in a panic. Stunned from the world they'd just witnessed, while Kushina collapsed onto her hands in disbelief and Kakuzu was frozen as a statue, Minato looked across at Mikoto and Jiraiya. His expression mirroring theirs in its appearance, the man with spiky blond hair quickly looked back up at Kotaro, whom he saw had reabsorbed the stone into her body and was still watching them with her unchanging gaze.

"Oda Nobunaga is a foe unlike any that you will ever encounter- in this life or the next. He is a literal self-made-devil incarnate. A human forged in the art of combat and death- the physical embodiment of ambition and the personification of warfare. His arrival on your continent is inevitable. Not even the _Cintamani_ can do anything against the supernatural powers that he wields," Fuma Kotaro informed, at the same time narrowing her eyes on the shocked group beneath her. "His conception has already begun. He will appear. And when he does, he will bring all the forces of hell with him… and he will raze every village and city to the ground in his wake. That is a guarantee."

Swallowing nervously, the Uchiha matriarch frowned, "You mentioned the young man with blond hair and whiskers?"

Kotaro nodded. "I did."

"How exactly does _he_ tie into all of this?" Minato asked, which in turn drew Kushina back into the conversation. "I didn't see him anywhere in the vision… yet he seems very familiar to us."

It was then Kotaro straightened up and spoke. "What you saw was the first part of the epilogue. War will undoubtedly happen. That is a guarantee. However, the one person that will be able to stop Oda Nobunaga from wiping out all life in this world and throwing creation out of balance is the blond man with whiskers- the one who defies both destiny and death himself." She then took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. "He, along with the two generals who would be his equals- a man with jet black hair wielding the legendary blade of Masamune and a girl with hair as pink as the cherry blossoms in spring- will unite the remaining free armies of the world- demons, rulers, Gods, and men alike- to stand against Oda Nobunaga on the shores of the end. Once they do, the three will do battle against him… and take the evil tyrant down with them. Only then will the world be averted from disaster."

A cold silence then fell over the six shinobi and kunoichi, all of whom either kept their eyes fixed on the woman above them or focused their gazes on the ground. The grim future shown to them and told to them in full by the rogue ninja had the elite group of ninja frozen in states of bewilderment and contemplation. Truly, all of this was a great deal to take in, and the six ninja began questioning their purpose in all of this.

Being the most mindful of them, even in his present state of defeat, Minato clenched his fists in determination and once again faced the bringer of bad news. "There is a reason you wanted to face us here, isn't there? Something that you need us to do?"

"Yes," Kotaro replied. "All six of you will play an important role in the events to come… as well as the lives of the people who will inevitably face this future. In order to stop the apocalypse from taking place, I need all of you to do exactly as I tell you. Any divergences or slipups will result in dire consequences and cause the future to spiral into disarray." When she saw a couple of the men glare at her, the white-haired woman addressed their concerns without hesitation. "I know you're finding it difficult to trust me, what with everything that's happened so far-"

"That's putting it mildly," Kakuzu grumbled back as he glared up at the female through his green eyes. "Considering the bounty on your head and your enormous criminal background, it's going to be pretty difficult convincing us to follow along with whatever you have to say. Even after showing us everything that you did, I'm still not sure about any of this…"

"Your subordinates attacked my village and kidnapped my daughter, Amaya," Hanzo continued, at the same time continuing to glare at the rogue ninja staring down at them. "If you want me to hear anything more you have to say, I want you to promise me that you will return her to me, safe and sound."

"You have my word on that. I swear she will be handed back into your care, once our transaction here is completed," Fuma Kotaro informed, her voice unwavering in its response. Her yellow eyes then quickly switched over to the bounty hunter, whom she saw was still boring daggers into her from his position on the island. "As for you, seeing as how you value currency over every other principle in this life, I promise you a sizable sum- which will be paid to you in installments over the next two decades- if you agree to work for me. With the amount of treasures I have accumulated in the last several years, I can promise you nothing short of a small fortune being your end total."

Hearing the sound of a money till being rung in his head upon being told this, Kakuzu paused for a moment. Doing a quick cost and benefit analysis in his head at light speed, the rogue ninja from _Takigakure_ straightened up and stepped forward. "Okay. I'm willing to hear you out."

"As am I," Jiraiya said, also moving into the limelight to glare up at the woman. When he saw the bewitching rogue look in his direction, the Sannin frowned. "I've seen enough of the world to know never to take a prophecy lightly- particularly one pertaining towards the destruction of all of humankind. If it means helping others and avoiding this catastrophe, I will gladly offer my blades and strength, regardless of payment."

Minato and Mikoto nodded in agreement to the Toad Sage. After managing to recover from her state of shock, Kushina also joined the group in their stand and gazed up at the woman on the rock over them.

"I know our mission was to bring you in. But after witnessing that vision firsthand, I'm going to put duty aside in favor of my instincts and follow along with you on this," Minato also added, which in turn had Kushina step closer to him and grasp the edge of his tattered shirt, with Mikoto also discreetly grabbing hold of the finger of his other hand and squeezing it nervously. Feeling their encouragement, the blond man with the bruised face nodded. "What do you need us to do?"

Kotaro nodded before smiling broadly. "The _Cintamani_ showed me the road needed to be taken in order to reach the best possible results. Several events of great significance will take place over the next few years, which will pave the way for the final battle to come. We need to make sure that it is fought on our terms… not Oda Nobunaga's." She then raised her hand and held it up to the group, the look in her eyes becoming filled with intent. "Now this next bit is very crucial. It is _imperative_ that these next series of events take place, as they are key points in history that will decide the future of all who are involved."

"What are they?" Kushina asked, her own voice serious and eyes also set hard on the woman.

"The world will be stricken by another _Shinobi World War_ in approximately a year's time. All sides will suffer great losses… and many significant battles will be fought in various territories across the continent. This will set the groundwork for the era of peace that is to follow," Kotaro stated, lowering her hand before quickly hopping off of her rock and landing in front of the group. Her bare feet tapping lightly against the ground, the rogue ninja then looked upon the six shinobi eye-to-eye. "Not long after the war, the Nine-Tailed Fox will be set loose from its jinchuriki and attack _Konohagakure_ , killing many. Seven years after that, a majority of the Uchiha Clan will be massacred by one of their own, which will shake the hidden leaf's structure and lead to a string of developments that will result in several major outcomes." Kotaro then focused her gaze on Minato, Mikoto and Kushina. "In an alternate timeline, the three of you end up perishing in those two respective events, and the entire Uchiha Clan gets slaughtered."

This news caused the three ninja from Konohagakure to recoil in alarm, with even Jiraiya expressing a certain measure of astonishment.

As for Kurama, who had been listening intently to the conversation inside his jinchuriki, couldn't help but grunt apologetically. _**"For the record… I'm really sorry. Though I don't technically know what exactly is going to happen... for me to attack the village."**_

Kushina, taking a deep breath, responded to her friend in kind. _"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, furball."_

However, just as this information was starting to sink in to the trio of diligent Konoha ninja, the white-haired kunoichi followed up with a second statement.

"However, while it is necessary for these two attacks to occur, it is possible for the three of you to survive these encounters... and eventually help fight in the final war later on," Kotaro stated, at the same time raising her head when she saw the trio of younger shinobi shake themselves out of their stupors.

"How?" Mikoto asked.

Reaching into her robe, Kotaro rummaged about for a moment before then drawing something out. "They say a single drop in a stream can change the flow of the current. But that's just a myth. However, if a _stone_ large enough was to be placed on the edge of the tributary, alongside the others, it can alter the water's path just enough to change its surroundings over a certain period of time." She then tossed the object she'd pulled out to Kushina, who then caught it between her hands.

Looking down at it, the redhead blinked in surprise when she saw a perfectly round, orange gem with a whirlpool symbol on it, decorated by a couple of other beads, and attached to a black chord. Seeing it gleam under the light of the sun reflecting off of its amber surface, the kunoichi quickly looked up at the woman in front of her. "Th-This is-"

"Recognize it?" Kotaro asked, at the same time watching as Minato, Mikoto and Jiraiya craned their heads over to see what it was. "That's an old Uzumaki Clan artifact that I stole from one of your clan's vaults when I attacked your home village years ago." When she saw Kushina frown, the thief raised her hand. "Don't worry. Nobody was harmed. Your people scattered after my opening assault and are safe in hiding. Like I said, I don't kill needlessly." Upon seeing her expression calm, the rogue ninja continued her explanations. "Though it looks like an ordinary family heirloom, it's actually a reality marble that has an entire world sealed inside of it. It's one of the most important relics the clan's founders ever created, and can seal an endless amount of objects inside of it… including people." She then smiled at the group when they looked at her in surprise. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do. Just make sure to keep that with you at all times."

After Kushina gave a nod of understanding, the woman then took up the pendant and wrapped it around her neck, allowing it to dangle over her chest. Once it was secure, the six shinobi returned to listening to Kotaro.

"If we're to bring about the best possible future and avoid causing an upheaval, all of you have to make sure to intervene preventatively in these events as little as possible or not at all… and let time run its course. The individuals who will impact the world will find their own ways to you in their own time. The best you can do for them is to act as you normally would. That is all," Kotaro stated, at the same time looking around at the six adults standing attentively before her. "Also… and this is paramount for the six of you to remember… you also need to act as though you know nothing of this. About _any_ of this. Knowledge of the future is a great burden to carry… and haplessly letting any of this information loose can cause unimaginable havoc to the time stream. So keep this hush."

When the group all gave simultaneous nods of understanding, Jiraiya then stepped forward and looked at the woman seriously. "For a massive event like the apocalypse to take place in the future, there has to be quite a number of signs popping up along the way. How will we know when that day is approaching? What do we have to look out for if we do things right?"

"If all goes well, then these events will happen naturally and without serious repercussions," Kotaro stated, while also focusing her gaze on the group. "Aside from the Kyuubi Attack and the Uchiha Massacre… you will also notice a more sporadic increase in cursed beings, spirits and demons appearing across the continent. Furthermore, and this is the most significant sign, the appearance of one of the _**Sìh**_ _ **ǎ**_ _ **i L**_ _ **ó**_ _ **ngw**_ _ **á**_ _ **ng**_ (Dragon Kings of the Four Seas)- one of the guardians of the four cardinal directions of the cosmos- will herald the start of the world's trek towards the apocalypse. On the day that one of the Dragon Kings and their host makes themselves known- an individual who carries a bloodline from the continent of Asie- the end of the world will happen in exactly four years."

 _(End Flashback)_

* * *

Mikoto took a deep, shaky breath afterwards, at the same time continuing to stare out the window towards the moon. Looking as new as the day that it had been repaired by Fuma Kotaro following their world-shaking clash on the peninsula- now formerly known across the continent as the body of ocean called _The Demon's Crossing_ \- the woman found herself lost in its glow and heavenly appearance.

After gazing at it for a little while longer, the raven haired mother slowly turned back to the table laid out in front of her, and the late-night meal that she was slowly devouring. Her fingers clutching the cup of tea she'd poured herself a little while earlier, which was still emitting a light steam from its contents, Mikoto then allowed her expression to tighten.

" _So it's actually happening, huh? She wasn't lying,"_ the Uchiha thought. After everything she'd been through so far, there was no way she could doubt the woman's words anymore.

Following that battle on the cape, which had pretty much decimated hundreds upon hundreds of miles of land, Fuma Kotaro imparted some more important details to the group. Then, much to the six shinobi's great surprise, the white-haired rogue then willingly and readily surrendered herself to them, and allowed the group to escort her to _Hozuki Castle_. When they turned her over to the authorities, all of whom had been incredibly weary of the strong woman, the group ended up being paid a small fortune for her arrest, which they split evenly six ways.

While it'd certainly been the most profitable venture any of the group had ever undertaken, the mission had still left plenty of scars on their persons. In addition to this, the group had walked away from that battle feeling both enlightened and wary of the future to come.

Jiraiya had set off on his own path again- leaving _Konohagakure_ for an extended trip in order to look more into the information Kotaro had passed on to them. The Sannin hadn't been seen since that day.

After learning of the location of his daughter, Hanzo of the Salamander also headed off on his own path. The last Mikoto heard about the man was that he was holed up in _Amegakure_ \- having closed himself off from the community and surrounded himself with hundreds upon hundreds of bodyguards. However, considering what he was able to learn from Kotaro about his future and involvement in it, the Uchiha matriarch suspected that the great leader of the hidden rain village had put several measures in place to ensure his fate was changed. As to exactly what those preventions were she had no idea.

As for Kakuzu, the bounty hunter had also slipped into obscurity, vanishing from both the limelight and the underworld. Though Mikoto would sometimes catch wind of the man popping up in several obscure places, these were mostly just rumors. Even so, the woman knew that he was still tied to Kotaro in some way, as the woman had sworn him payment for his services over an extended term.

After thinking on all this for a moment, Mikoto's thoughts then went out to Minato and Kushina. When their smiling faces appeared in her head and she remembered their part of the prophecy spoken to them, the Uchiha matriarch allowed a warm smile to tug at her lips as she set her gaze on her tea.

" _Though it seems like the two of you are gone… I know you guys are still out there somewhere,"_ Mikoto said to herself, while at the same time looking across her quiet house and in the direction of the village's main strip beyond her domain. _"I wonder what they're doing right now."_

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Across the village of _Konohagakure_ , past the main boulevard and the entertainment district, the apartment building that was famously recognized as the domicile of Naruto Uzumaki stood dark and quiet amidst the stream of street lights. The glow that was once present in the residence overlooking the main road and facing the _Hokage Monument_ \- which was currently under construction and maintenance- had long since been extinguished, indicating that all the people dwelling within had gone to sleep.

This statement was more or less accurate, as within the six-tatami mat flat, strewn across the futon covers lying by the main table, Naruto, Tama and Tayuya were currently fast-asleep. They weren't alone here either, as not only was Samui lying across the sheets and also sharing a space next to the sleeping blond wonder, but up in the ceiling space overlooking the residents, the large Jorogumo Aya was, wearing a sleep kimono, had fashioned herself a hammock, and was also sleeping peacefully with her familiars.

Though the house was small and the current number of people inhabiting the place was medium, this small, quiet space in the corner of the hidden leaf was just perfect for the delinquent and his band of friends. Even though one of them was visiting from another village, they were all content with their accommodations.

While the group was fast asleep, cloaked in the cool darkness of the room and surrounded by the people they were most familiar with, resting on the counter just by the window, not too far out of Naruto's reach- his orange pendant, engraved with the whirlpool symbol of his family, sat quietly at rest.

Bathed in the moonlight seeping in from outdoors, the little gem that'd been in the young Uzumaki's possession for as long as he could remember, suddenly lit up with the same mysterious glow as it had done before. An aura of orange chakra surrounded the pendant and shone brightly for a moment, causing the darkened spaces of the desk beneath to reflect its enchanting ethereal colors. As if responding to a thought or a dream being had by the spiky haired delinquent nearby, the artifact that was once owned by Kushina- and given to her by Kotaro all those years ago- gleamed for a full minute.

When the light vanished moments later, the seemingly sleeping Tama cracked open an eye and looked up at the shelf. Focusing on the gem lying away from her and her mate, and sensing the collective energies swirling inside of its marble form, the little white fox then gave a quiet yawn, before eventually nuzzling back into her partner's chest.

As long as the artifact didn't disturb their slumber beyond a light glimmer, the little vixen had nothing to worry about…

XXX

(Meanwhile)

(Hozuki Castle)

The same could be said for the famed resident of _Hozuki Castle_ \- the towering, stone-walled penitentiary resting on the banks of one of the country's many enormous inlets.

Locked and hidden away from the light of the world, deep within the bowels of the infamous prison fortress, the legendary kunoichi of the wind and formerly the most proficient thief on the continent- _Fuma Kotaro of the Windmill Blade-_ was currently lying across the stone cold floor at the back of her specially designed cell, which sat close to the bottom of the prison.

With her body adorned in a ragged grey T-shirt and pants- a stark contrast to the elegant purple kimono she once used to wear in her prime- the white-haired woman had her arms set behind her and her feet kicked up.

Despite the fact that the woman had four metal stakes piercing her forearms and legs, which would've ordinarily brought untold amounts of pain to a wearer, the woman actually had a pleasant smile on her face and was enjoying a quiet night. As she did, Kotaro quietly hummed a gentle tune to herself- one that she had incessantly repeating to herself over and over again for the past decade.

From her gentle vocals, the lyrics of her tune slowly started to echo off the walls once more.

 _ **"What once was truth shall be no more,"**_

 _ **"For the age of man is at death's door,"**_

 _ **"A war for peace and unity shall end,"**_

 _ **"In land soaked in iron, blood, fire and friend,"**_

 _ **"Death comes to those who join this final arc,"**_

 _ **"In a song that echoes through time and past,"**_

 _ **"For one man wishes for a love long spark,"**_

 _ **"And another longs for a world that's glassed,"**_

 _ **"But in it other players shall arise,"**_

 _ **"To see the end for human, beast and lies,"**_

 _ **"The false goddess and child with heaven's eyes,"**_

 _ **"The true goddess of the moon, earth and skies,"**_

 _ **"From distant parts of the earth they'll come,"**_

 _ **"Shadow, God, biju, demon, everyone,"**_

 _ **"Yet all will fall to the mightiest foe,"**_

 _ **"Figure of blood, fire, and death's shadow,"**_

 _ **"The earth will still and the heavens will crack,"**_

 _ **"Under the heel of this devil's attack,"**_

 _ **"For you though your destined one I see clear,"**_

 _ **"The Demon King of blond, whiskers and cheer,"**_

 _ **"For he will save earth from the evil one,"**_

 _ **"And give you the future the stars have spun."**_

After reciting the song to herself several times over the next hour, the white-haired, grungy looking one then opened her yellow piercing eyes, and gazed up towards the ceiling.

As she did, a gentle sigh escaped her lips.

"Naruto-kun…" She then giggled as a light blush filled her cheeks, as the image of the young man with spiky hair once again filled her gaze. "I just can't wait to meet you."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So… does this chapter give anyone ideas of where Minato, Kurama and Kushina are?

 **Historical figure profiles (Part V):**

 _ **Longshen**_ (Dragon King/Dragon God)(4700 to 2600 BC) – The Dragon King or Dragon God is an ancient Chinese weather and water deity. The lone dragon god is depicted as the dispenser of rain and the zoomorphic representation of the yang masculine power of generation. He is the collective personification of the concept of the long (dragon) in Chinese mythology. He can take on many forms, most notably the **Sìh** **ǎ** **i L** **ó** **ngw** **á** **ng** (Dragon Kings of the Four Seas). He is the king of all dragons and is said to control all the creatures of the sea. One of the most famous appearances of one of the Four Dragon Kings include the story of _Journey to the West_ , a story about the monkey king _**Sun Wukong**_ and the original inspiration for _**Son Goku**_ from DBZ.

The concept of the dragon itself differentiates between each culture. For a lot of cultures, while the Chinese dragons are worshiped as lucky and powerful entities, dragons in other European cultures depict the dragons as beings of terrifying destruction and evil. Dragons are oftentimes depicted as creatures heralding the end of the world.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , the Four Dragon Kings are four of the most powerful entities in the story and are said to have been responsible for creating the four cardinal directions of the cosmos. Wielders of chi, these beings- though neutral in their stance on the world- are so powerful that even Fuma Kotaro is terrified of them. It is said in legends that the appearance of one of them and their human host would mark the beginning road to the apocalypse.

 **Ryofu Sawamura** , the girl that Naruto fought with in the mock battle, is a host of one of the Four Dragon Kings.

 **Kimi** (God A) (16th Century) - Kimi is the name of one of the most famous death Gods of Ancient Mayan and Aztec mythology, and is said to dwell on the ninth level of the Mayan underworld. The figure is represented as a skeleton covered in rotting flesh and often bears multiple animal symbols of death.


	26. Dragon Arc - Trolls, Dragons and Draugr

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _Trolls, Dragons and Draugr_

(Midnight)

(Elsewhere)

Somewhere in the northern parts of _Hi no Kuni_ and deep in one of the forest areas residing in the hilly regions of the nation, a rather frightening event was currently taking place. Under the gentle glow of the moon and the twinkling veil of stars high above, a lone female figure- with long, wavy hair as black as the flames of Amaterasu, chestnut brown skin, and adorned in a revealing jacket, top, and shredded pants that gripped tightly at her body- could be seen sprinting through the woods at full speed, panting heavily and reflecting an expression of utter panic.

The sandals of her feet crushed the grass and twigs with every stride she made, propelling her body heedlessly through whatever undergrowth stood in her path. Even the presence of several heavy, low hanging branches, which would've normally given other people pause, were carelessly batted aside by the woman as she barreled through the forest.

As to why she was running with such haste through the dead of night was clearly shown by her current state and condition.

Thanks to the very skimpy attire she was sporting, not only did it reveal her tall, curvy figure with traces of powerful muscles underneath, but it also exposed the deep burns she had all along her left side. This included the two arrows lodged in her flank and in the space behind her left shoulder.

Due to the weapons baring an unusual design compared to the projectiles used in the _Elemental Nations_ \- as they were covered in red, Nordic runes all along their wooden shafts- it was clear that whatever it was she was running from was no ordinary enemy.

And whatever it was that was chasing her, it was still in hot pursuit.

This was made apparent when the beautiful, yet gravely injured woman stumbled to a stop beside an oak and leaned against it on her good shoulder. Taking in deep heaves of forest air as sweat trickled down the front of her pain-wracked face, the dark-haired beauty looked up at the forest through her piercing yellow eyes. The slatted pupils stretched as they adjusted to the darkness ahead of her, moments before they snapped over her shoulder.

When she looked back through the woods in the direction she'd come, the female spotted a series of orange lights glowing in the distance, which were growing closer and closer by the second. Growling when she realized she was still being followed, the tough-as-nails female bit her bottom lip, picked herself up from her post, and continued to haul ass through the wilds, stumbling on her first few strides before eventually falling into an even sprint.

By this point she didn't care that she was trailing blood. She just had to get away from there.

After dodging yet more trees and ducking under low-hanging branches, the woman soon happened upon a cliff at the edge of the woods. Skidding to a stop just before the drop, the dark-haired female then peered over the side to see where she'd ended up. What she was immediately met with was a ridiculous fifty story drop down into a forest-covered valley, with a winding river that stretched far into the distance.

As the woman stood there, breathing hard and glaring over the side, more details of her figure was soon revealed by the rays of moonlight shining down on the country. Aside from the obvious cleavage and curves she had exposed through the tattered, thin black jacket hugging her shoulders and the open-front crop top, she also had- quite surprisingly- a long tail extending from her lower back. Unlike the fluffy tails and appendages ordinarily seen on other anthropomorphic creatures, the extremity she possessed was of a large, reptilian creature, with plated spines running along the top of it, and two aerial fins protruding close to the tip.

Based on these attributes, as well as the fact that her eyes weren't normal, clearly showed that she was not human.

Her appendage whipping about behind her, the woman continued to grip her side as she glared over the cliff in distress. Seconds later, the sounds of trees crashing behind her drew the female's attention back to the forest she'd been running through.

When her serpentine irises fixated on the tree line, the tired woman suddenly saw a group of thin, black figures alit by an ominous glow, come staggering out of the woods en masse.

The creatures, though humanoid in appearance, had the stench and look of rotting corpses about them. While each and every one of them were adorned in plated armor from a time long forgotten, their bodies were twisted, warped, frail, and boney in appearance, with skin falling off of them in various places, and cartilage plates growing out of random patches of skin like coral. Despite the fact that these people should've been long dead by whatever forces had killed them, they were somehow being kept alive by the same, bright orange light burning from their exposed chests, which not only lit up the veins in their arms and legs, but also the orifices in their faces. In addition to this, as the platoon of undead humans marched out of the forest and into the moonlight, each and every one of them carried with them some kind of weapon.

Some carried Viking swords, others carried spatha, others spears, and the ones that remained furthest to the back were armed with bows and arrows. Those with large axes and shields dragged their blades along the ground, grinding them against the stone and tearing trenches through the earth in a sinister manner. All the while the horde maintained a state of aggression and battle readiness.

The second the squads of creatures exited the woods, their haunting, glowing eyes fixated on the woman positioned at the edge of the cliff. Stopping just a few feet from the forest, the detachment of undead figures remained in place, watching as the woman turned to face them bravely.

At first the woman thought that all of her pursuers had finally emerged. But then, a few moments later, a loud stomping of approaching footfalls suddenly filled the air- the vibrations shaking the ground for many yards and rattling the armor of the collection of undead warriors.

After watching and waiting for several moments in unwanted anticipation, the exhausted woman's eyes widened when she saw the tree line burst apart, and a massive, hulking figure smash his way into view. His frame practically blotting out a portion of the sky when he coasted to a stop alongside the zombies, the woman was forced to crane her head upwards in order to get a better gauge of the newcomer.

The juggernaut's body was covered from neck to toe in rippling muscles, and was sheathed in a coat of deep grey skin that was as tough as steel. Aside from a couple of scars crisscrossing several places of his body, the figure was also bedecked in glowing, golden circles and runes tattooed in multiple places, giving him a very mystical, archaic-feel to him. To top it off, not only was he adorned in a pair of fur boots and a leather battle skirt, but his thick belt was also weighted with multiple trophies, pouches, and skulls. His sheer size and complexion also indicated that he wasn't human either, a fact that was made more obvious by two enormous, ram-like tusks curling out from his cheeks, alongside two slightly smaller ones- one of which had been broken off. Most likely in a battle.

The strength he possessed was also made quite apparent, as the giant of a humanoid was lagging a massive stone totem over his shoulder- a monolith that was quadrilateral in shape with a sharpened tip, illustrating that it may have been buried in the ground at one stage. It too was covered in a series of golden symbols and runes, displaying magical properties unlike those found in the _Elemental Nations_.

The beast's long, scraggly beard, woven together with decorative beads and ties, did little to conceal the fearsome, angry face of the monster beneath. The creature's orange eyes flared brightly through the dark as they set upon the tailed woman.

Giving a low huff, the hulking titan huffed deeply before allowing a sinister smirk to tug across his cracked lips, _**"Done running, Kiyohime-san?"**_ When he saw the injured woman take a cautious step back but stagger at the cliff, the giant beast continued in his loud, booming voice. _**"Good. This makes my job so much easier."**_ Upon saying this, the beast heaved forward the large totem from his shoulder and slammed the flat edge of it into the floor, causing a loud boom that split the earth and shook the trees for several hundred meters in all directions.

The strength he exerted with that simple gesture was quite literally monstrous and enough to cause a chunk of the cliff they were on to give way.

In response, the dark-haired woman sneered angrily, her golden eyes quickly darting from the troll to the undead warriors accompanying him. Quickly taking count of their numbers, while also discreetly noticing the soldiers in the tree line silently aim their bows and arrows at her, the tailed-woman realized right then and there that she was trapped.

A hot breath of steam gushed out of the ogre's fang-lined mouth as he watched the female in front of him steel herself. _**"Hunting down humans has always been my favorite pastime. But going after other spirits and creatures from different realms is a completely different kind of game. Even with all those wounds on your body, you were still able to give me quite the runaround."**_ A chuckle then left his lips at the end. _**"Guess I have my draugr bowmen to thank for that."**_

Not wanting to be captured by this fiend or his horde, the mysterious woman no identified as Kiyohime quickly assumed a fighting stance. Bringing her arms out to the sides and curling her fingers into claws, she tightened her glare and flared her energy. This in turn caused the veins in her plated spines running down the top of her tail to light up a bright blue, with portions of her back and the sleeves of her forearms also flaring up in a similar manner.

Seeing their injured prey bare her fangs at them caused the giant troll to laugh with amusement. _**"Please. In the state you're in, I doubt you'll be able to put up much more of a fight. Even someone as mighty and powerful as you can still be beaten… especially after being ambushed in her own home."**_ Clenching the top of his totem tightly between his fingers and causing the stone to creek, the troll then leered at the angry woman as she panted where she stood. _**"As much as it would please me to kill you here and now… Oda Nobunaga-sama has ordered me to bring you in."**_ The beast then shook his head. _ **"Nobunaga-sama didn't say in what state though. So what's it going to be? On your feet or in a box?"**_

Snarling through her teeth, the woman with the dragon's tail huffed twice before, with a mighty roar, she darted towards the troll with a growl. Her launch was marked by a sonic boom that cracked the cliff behind her as she propelled herself at the giant creature.

Almost at once, the draugr soldiers in the woods opened fire on her with their enchanted arrows, sending flaming bolts shooting through the air like a hail of bullets. Despite their deadly aim, the blinding blue blur that was Kiyohime's fast-moving body managed to avoid all of them- even managing to smack a few out of the air with her claw before leaping through the air and diving straight towards their leader.

In response, the troll growled and swung his totem up. Like a bat, he attempted to smash the woman out of the air when she came within reach. A loud shockwave then rang out when Kiyohime intercepted his blow with a kick, knocking the beast stumbling back while she flipped through the air in a long arc.

Touching down several yards away, the woman then quickly charged a mass of pulsating energy in her mouth. Embers gathering into a sphere in an instant, she then fired a powerful beam of fire straight towards the troll, who promptly brought his totem in front of him and drove it into the floor. The block of enchanted rock acted as a shield when the laser struck, splitting and deflecting the energy bolt as it shot off in multiple directions.

The forest and several mountains got hit by the beams, with one edifice having its top sliced off and sent tumbling to the ground, while another part of the beam detonated against a hill and incinerated it in a sphere-shaped blast.

Snarling angrily, after feeling the attack die out, the troll, yanked his totem out of the floor, held up his hand, and unleashed a golden ball of flames towards the still lively Kiyohime.

Her form transforming into a blur, the injured female dodged the attack and once again charged at the troll. When a group of the undead soldiers beside the beast rushed at her, Kiyohime cut through them with her claws and smashed them to pieces, while simultaneously dodging several more arrows fired at her from the woods. Barely avoiding a headshot while at the same time smashing away another draugr with her tail, the woman then gave a howl as she lunged towards the troll with her claw extended and fins aflame with blue energy.

However, just before she could come within reach of the beast, the horned warrior grin widened. Charging up his totem once again and causing the seals on his weapon and body to light up, the juggernaut then raised his foot and slammed it into the floor, sending a shockwave blasting into the approaching woman at pointblank range. _**"Vindur!"**_ (Wind) The invisible attack hit her with the force of a speeding locomotive.

Letting out a yelp of pain through the deafening blast of force that distorted the air around her, the airborne Kiyohime was knocked clean out of her jump and sent crashing into the floor. Tumbling violently across the earth, the woman then stopped right at the edge of the cliff close to where she'd started her attack, where her body quickly fell limp.

Coughing out blood and gasping for air, the female painfully attempted to get back up. When her arms nearly buckled in her efforts to rise off the earth, it was clear that the damage done to her had been too much.

With a smirk and a grunt, the troll heaved up his totem, deactivated the seals, and beckoned the draugr on his left flank forward. _**"She's done. Take her."**_ Doing as instructed, the remaining undead warriors once again started marching towards their prey.

Looking up fearfully to see the platoon of soldiers approaching her, the woman now bleeding from the head and mouth quickly looked between them and the cliff next to her. Upon giving both obstacles a total of four desperate glances, the wounded Kiyohime quickly came to a decision.

Standing up as fast as she could manage, the dragon-tailed female staggered towards the edge of the cliff, before promptly throwing herself over the side. The undead soldiers sprinted to the cliff to try and catch her, but only made it just in time to see the woman's body dive head-first towards the river far below.

The surprised troll, marching over to the cliff to join his soldiers, also peered over the edge. When his eyes landed on the winding river below and the tiny splash that occurred- indicating the woman had dove right into it- the giant beast gave a low growl of frustration. In a clear vent, the creature drew back his foot and kicked a couple of the nearby draugr over the side, smashing them to pieces and sending their remains plummeting towards the valley below. After which he then stomped away and back towards the forest, before being followed by his undead squad.

" _ **Shit,"**_ the troll cursed angrily.

Now his hunt had become an even more difficult chore.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is the start of the next arc before the main one. This was one I'd planned on doing before the first Chunin Exam arc, but wanted to do the Chunin Exam arc first to set the stage for the training to come.

This small arc before the New Wave Arc will help establish another character in the main group.

Here's a quick rundown:

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (Part V):**

 **Draugr** – (4500 BC to 17th Century) _Draugr_ or _Draug_ are undead creatures that can be found in Norse mythology. The Old Norse meaning of the word are 'Revenant' or 'Undead Man' or 'Phantom', which can be traced back to the Proto-Indo European Era of Ancient Europe. Draugr live in their graves, often found guarding their treasures in their burial mounds. Unlike ghosts, they have corporeal bodies with similar, physical abilities as possessed in life.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , the draugr function as their real-life counterparts do, acting as the soldiers that they once were. These ones in particular are being controlled by a troll, another Norse mythological creature, who by extension is working for Oda Nobunaga.

 **Trolls** – (800 to 1300 AD) Trolls are a class of beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In Old Norse, these types of beings are said to dwell in isolated rocks, mountains or caves, live together in family units, and are said to rarely help humans. Moreover, particularly in Norse mythology, troll can also refer to other mythological or uncanny beings, including ogres and giants.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , one such troll whose name is unknown but taken directly from one of the Norse tales, is seen hunting a spirit with a group of draugr. Possessing incredible strength and magical prowess, this beast stated that he was working for Oda Nobunaga, who has somehow managed to conscript him and several of his kind to his cause.

The fact that he has recruited such a powerful beast into his forces indicates just how much of a reach Oda's influence has stretched to other cultures, further emphasizing his power.

 **Kiyohime –** (11th Century to 15th Century) According to Japanese folklore, Kiyohime or _Kiyo_ was the daughter of a village headman/landlord named Shoji, on the Hidaka riverbank. The family was wealthy enough to entertain and provide lodging for travelling priests, who often passed by on their way to a shrine famous for ascetic practices. In the story, the beautiful daughter Kiyohime attracted the attentions of one of the priests who pursued her passionately, but eventually left her. When he attempted to escape, Kiyohime became enraged and attempted to follow him across the river, where she transformed into a serpent or a dragon. When the priest hid in the temple inside of a bell, Kiyohime coiled around the bell and melted it around him, killing him.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , Kiyohime shares the exact same traits as her real-life counterpart, though her origins differ slightly. Though not much about her is known as of yet, she comes from the exact same race as Tamamo-no-Mae- Naruto's white fox familiar- and is exceptionally powerful. This means she can use _Seishin_ energy just like Tama. She was apparently ambushed by a group of other mythological creatures- a powerful troll and a draugr- and forced to flee.

Her current state is unknown.


	27. Dragon Arc - From Distant Shores

**NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _From Distant Shores_

(Early the next morning)

It was at times like this that Naruto was actually really glad he chose the life of a shinobi. While certainly not the most financially stable or the safest profession a child would elect to pursue from a very young age, it certainly came with its share of perks- as well as a plethora of useful skills. This wasn't just limited to self-defense and survival skills, but also the ability to enter and leave a room without anybody noticing.

The most his body clock roused him from his deep and well-deserved slumber, the very first thing the youngster noticed when the haziness in his vision faded was that he was currently being sandwiched between both Tayuya and Samui. Additionally, he also had Tama sleeping right next to his head with her head lying on top of her fluffy white tail.

Since both girls were either lying right on top of him or were grabbing hold of his arm, Naruto looked as though he had no way out of this situation. However, being the cunning and imaginative Genin that he was, the blond lay where he was enjoying the girls' company for a few minutes, before deciding to create a shadow clone. He then performed a skillful _**Kawarimi no Jutsu**_ (Replacement Technique) with the aforementioned double and allowed him to remain in place, while he went off and got dressed.

Quietly tiptoeing about his apartment so that he didn't wake either Tayuya, Samui or Aya- the latter of whom was rocking peacefully in her web-made hammock above them- the blond slipped into his white fur jacket, wrapped his scarf Aijo around his neck, and slipped on his pendant. After Tama also woke up and hiked up onto her partner's shoulder, the two then left the apartment and headed out for training.

Preferring to let Tayuya sleep in rather than disturb her for an even earlier training session together, Naruto opted to take this one by himself. Immediately hitting the rooftops of the village, the blond delinquent began a fast track towards his normal training spot in the bamboo grove, where he planned on hitting up the next stage of his personal training with Tama. The trip across the suburban districts of _Konohagakure_ also gave the youngster a time of quiet thought, allowing him to think back to the events that'd taken place the night before.

While the results of the mock Chunin Exams had indeed been at the forefront of everybody's minds at the time, it was the subsequent dates that each of Naruto's shadow clones had gone on that really stuck out in his mind. Not only had their excursions been lengthy, fun and full of entertainment, but they'd also given the delinquent further insight into the girls' that apparently had a great interest in him.

His night spent with Tayuya was obviously the most significant of them. Following her straight-up confession to him regarding her feelings and his reciprocation of her feelings, the pair spent a great deal of that evening in the hot springs together- enjoying one another's company and even having some typical, childish horseplay with one another. Of course, splashing one another in the hot spring would've likely led them to being discovered by their apartment manager, who they preferred not to annoy while being her tenants. So they instead ended up spending most of that early night sitting quietly next to one another and washing each other's backs.

Aside from experimenting with kissing, Naruto and Tayuya didn't really do much else- save glimpsing one another in the nude. Under most circumstances this would've been embarrassing for the two of them, but the pair instead silently appraised one another before eventually retiring to the apartment for some games and studying. Overall, their afternoon with one another had been incredibly pleasant.

Naruto's time with Kurotsuchi on the other hand had been the complete opposite of calm. The shadow clone and kunoichi had pretty much lit up the entire town with their antics, not only hilariously racing one another with extreme vigor up to the hidden leaf's _Hokage Monument_ , but also going out to the local arcade for some games and then a restaurant serving a wide variety of cooked meats. After that the pair went for a run around the shops, before then ending it with a walk through the park.

This was where things settled down for the pair, where Kurotsuchi was able to talk to Naruto about her family and how she wanted to be acknowledged by them as a great ninja. The blond remembered his clone stating how he looked forward to seeing the girl come into her own and showing what she could do at the exams- compliments that the girl greatly appreciated. When the blond eventually escorted the girl back to her village's temporary embassy, he received a bit of a surprise when the girl sneakily and nervously stole a quick kiss from him, before eventually jogging away with the hopes of seeing him again soon. The clone eventually dispelled with a happy grin on his face, which ended up being reflected on the original's face when memories returned to him.

Samui was a girl that Naruto enjoyed spending a lot of time with. She was a sparkling conversationalist and possessed a wisdom befitting of someone many years older. However, this did little to detract from the amount of fun the blond delinquent was able to have with her. The entire evening the pair had spent most of it exploring the markets, visiting the local tea shop, and then sharing a long dinner across from one another. From there the pair talked endlessly over their training and plans for the upcoming exams, which they were both looking forward to participating in. And while Naruto expressed great interest in battling the kunoichi to see how she fought, Samui complimented the delinquent endlessly on his skills.

In her words, she confessed that what she saw him do during the mock battle was both "cool" and "attractive". After the pair paid for their meal and then went to the next shop for sundaes, Samui literally spent the entire time hanging off of the boy's arms, sharing his ice-cream, and really just enjoying his presence. A great deal of time after that was spent at the park, where the duo basked under the light of the moon and the stars, while also sharing a few tender kisses with one another. To end the night, the Naruto clone eventually escorted Samui back to his apartment, where she ended up falling asleep right next to the original on his futon.

While the first three girls had certainly been a joy to hang around, Temari was a much more unusual case to deal with. From what Naruto recalled of his clone's memories, the golden haired beauty from _Sunagakure_ had been a bit on edge throughout most of the night. Every time the delinquent tried to impress her or compliment her in the first half, the girl would either respond with a shout or a stutter, and she would often avert her gaze every time he tried to make eye contact. Though Naruto chalked this mostly up to her not being used to going out on dates with boys, things eventually settled down when he treated her to dinner.

Naruto acted like a real gentleman for the entire evening while he was with Temari. Once she'd managed to get into the mood of it all, the pair were actually able to share a genuine conversation with one another, where he was able to learn about her personally, her likes, dislikes, her hobbies, and her interests. She deliberately dodged anything related to training and such, which made sense considering they were from different villages and had just met one another. But after all that was done, the charming Genin jinchuriki then escorted Temari back through the main strips of the village and back to her embassy. Of course, when the clone asked whether they could do this again sometime, Temari replied that they will- and that she expected him to take her out again the next time they met.

This more or less told Naruto that he'd made a good enough impression on her for a repeat date, which allowed him to head off with a triumphant grin on his face.

Summing everything that he was able to recall from his copies, Naruto could safely say that his spree of dates was a complete success. Not only did he manage to appease and bond with his current girlfriends Tayuya and Samui, but he was also able to walk away with Kurotsuchi's affections and a second shot at Temari. If he had a personal playboy scoreboard at home, the kid could assume that he was batting well above average for his weight-class, and that was a big win in his book.

The memories of the evening helped to give Naruto that extra kick in the backside he needed to get to his training spot. Upon arriving, he immediately dove right into his regular training and workouts, making sure to remove his jacket, scarf and shirt for better movement, while Tama found her usual spot on the sidelines beneath the tree. From there, she proceeded to observe as her blond-haired partner wore out the night leading to dawn. To finish it off, the spiky haired delinquent practiced manipulating his _Seishin_ energy while under the supervision of Tama- sitting cross-legged underneath a tree and conjuring it into his hands to form a ball of visible blue vitality in the form of flames. He also flexed it by sending the same energy into his hand and coating his fist in it, forming the special technique he'd practiced with before.

After his training was complete, the boy decided to spend the first few minutes of his break jotting down some notes in his small red book. Cracking it open to the next blank page available, Naruto filled the section with an updated record of what he'd been able to accomplish so far in his training, while also trying to make two-cents of his current energy output and overall capabilities. In order to disguise his work so that it couldn't be translated by other people, he used short-hand on his katakana and hiragana, and oddly drawn images to conceal his major calculations and results. He also created some illustrations of the two energy sources that he has been able to conjure up so far.

Based on his understanding of the subject and what was previously reminded to him by his kitsune partner, _Chakra_ existed inside of almost every living thing on their side of the world, and combined both physical and mental/spiritual energy together inside of the body to create a reaction. When mastered properly and manipulated under the right conditions, the energy could be used to perform a variety of unique techniques. He was able to illustrate the chakra's influence on the body in his notebook via the use of a blank figure, with a yin-yang symbol in the stomach area symbolizing both of the abovementioned energies harmonizing within the human form.

As for _Seishin_ , which was an entirely foreign concept to shinobi, Naruto was able to compose a sketch of how he believed it combined with _his_ body. Since it was a force that existed outside of the chakra network and was essentially ethereal in nature, as it flowed everywhere and between spaces without obstruction, he had to spend the last few years developing an extra sense that would allow him to feel the energy and draw on it at will. This in turn allowed him to slowly combine it with his body and form a second pool of energy on a separate circulatory network inside of him.

By breaking it down in this way, he was able to ascertain how he was able to utilize both forms of energy separately, without them interfering with one another whenever he called upon them. While one required the use of hand seals and focus around the center of the body, the other merely required the feel of the surroundings by reaching out with one's spirit in order to grasp it.

It was probably the simplest and most effective explanation he could come up with, and something that Tama noticeably agreed on.

Once he'd finished mulling over his work, Naruto eventually packed away his gear and got dressed, before promptly heading out to his next rendezvous.

When the delinquent arrived at the team's regular meetup point at the bridge a little earlier than the initially specified time, Naruto discovered to his surprise that Kakashi was already there and waiting for them- his body propped up against the railings and his orange book cracked open. Upon greeting the Jonin and receiving a cheerful wave from him in return, the two were shortly joined by Sasuke and Sakura- both of whom also expressed great shock at seeing their teacher there before them.

Though the trio badly wanted to interrogate the man over why he was up so much earlier than usual, the three kids quickly dismissed these plans when their instructor took charge and promptly led them up to their planned training area- the hills beside the Hokage Monument. Since they were a lot closer to the administration district, the march up to the highlands didn't take long at all. Though it did require some directions in order to successfully reach the area in question.

The training spot that their Jonin instructor wound up selecting was an open rocky outcrop that sat on the slope of the large mountain that arced around the very back of their community, and overlooked the entire region of _Konohagakure_. Though there were telltale traces of forests bordering the sweeping, barren and mostly even terrain, the only real obstacles and obstructions that the trio immediately spotted upon coming here were the occasional steep drops and the towering tors dotting the landscape.

Upon admiring the area and taking in their newly acquired scenery, the three kids were then formed into a row in front of their instructor, where they then stood at relative ease. Before any further questions or inquiries could be asked, the silent Kakashi marched up to each of his students and handed them a tiny slip of paper. He then stepped back and watched them check out the tiny cue cards.

With Tama also peaking curiously down at the sheet from where she sat over his shoulders, Naruto turned the piece of paper over a couple of times before looking up at his teacher in confusion, "Uhh… sensei? What exactly are these?"

The Jonin smiled through his mask, "Those little slips of paper are _**Chakra Kannoshi**_ (Chakra Induction Paper). Ever heard of them before?"

"Oh. I think I have," Sakura exclaimed, while simultaneously raising her hand. "Are these the same slips of paper that are made out of a special type of tree that is grown and fed using chakra? My friend Ino said that her family has a patch of these plants set up in their area of the village, just outside of their shop."

"That is correct. Ten points Sakura-san," Kakashi nodded, which earned a giddy smile from the girl at her teacher's approving response. "Unlike the printing and scroll paper that you use to write and draw on- which are constructed from cedars, evergreens and other species- the material that's used to make this type of paper has a very interesting quality to it. You see, when the paper is exposed to even the slightest hint of chakra, it reacts accordingly to that energy's latent element, which it's able to detect through its unique gene structure."

Blinking in realization, Sasuke then held his little piece of paper up higher. "So what you're saying is… you want the three of us to run our chakra through these pieces of papers so that you can see what our elemental affinities are?" It was when the Uchiha said this that Naruto also caught on to what was going on, which led to the delinquent looking at his piece of paper with an eager glint in his eyes.

Kakashi once again gave a nod to the Uchiha, "That's right." The man then held up his hand and extended all his fingers. "Generally, every person's chakra has an affinity towards one of five basic nature transformations: fire, earth, water, lightning, or wind. The affinity that you possess can at times be genetic- or is at least common to a particular family. For example, most of the Uchiha clan have an affinity towards the Fire nature, while members of the Fujiwara clan have an affinity towards Earth nature."

"Okay. Well that's easy enough to understand," Naruto remarked, while at the same time flipping the paper with his fingers and then holding it further out in front of him, as if testing its weight. A smile then pulled across his lips, "So this is going to be part of the next stage of our training, huh?"

"More or less," the Jonin continued, raising his hand and holding up his index and middle fingers. "In order for you guys to learn the techniques that I'm going to show you over the next two months, you need to master two separate parts of chakra manipulation. The first is _Shape Transformation_ , which is an advanced form of chakra control that involves changing the form and movement of chakra- determining the size, range and purpose of the technique you are using. The second is _Nature Transformation_ , which changes the property of chakra to give it an elemental boost or edge."

"That's super cool," Sakura whispered, subconsciously standing on her toes from excitement. Her exclamation was matched by a bark from Tama, who could sense the girl's level of enthusiasm through her extra-sensory capabilities.

Finding his own interest peaked, Naruto tilted his head at the Jonin curiously. "Exactly what kind of techniques are you going to be teaching us to do, sensei?"

Figuring that his students would benefit more from a demonstration rather than attempting to get it on their own terms, Kakashi lowered himself into a more practical stance and focused. "You guys will be learning how to perform techniques like _this_ one." Flipping through the Ox, Rabbit and Monkey seals, the Jonin then clasped his forearm and lifted his hand up. Upon which he then looked up at his students, all of whom were watching him with baited breath, "This technique uses both shape and nature manipulation at the same time. Watch carefully. First… you send raw chakra into your hand."

After waiting for several moments in anticipation, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's eyes suddenly widened in amazement when they saw a current of pure blue energy form in Kakashi's exposed palm. Seeing the chakra flicker brightly into view as it was exposed to the air, the youngsters took a small step closer, so that they could see for themselves how the jutsu was forming.

"After that I change the _nature_ of the chakra to the affinity I wish. For this one, I'm going to change it to lightning, which in turn transforms the chakra into an electric current," Kakashi explained, at the same time the flame of blue chakra transformed into a small ball of crackling electricity. After letting it spark and crackle from his palm for several moments, the Jonin then looked down at it and focused even more. "Then I change the _shape_ of the chakra to that of a surge, which gives the technique its power and range." The instant he said that, the electricity's output increased drastically, causing several streams of lightning to shoot out and begin carving along the ground around his feet. This in turn generated a hot blue field of crackling energy around the Jonin, and prompted the three Genin to step back cautiously when they saw how far the bolts of chakra were stretching.

"Wow," Sakura murmured when she saw the trails of energy leaving their teacher's hand. "I don't think any of us have ever seen you use this technique before, sensei."

"That's because it's an incredibly complex and somewhat dangerous move to perform," Kakashi informed, while looking up at the trio in front of him seriously for a moment. "Because of the amount of chakra this technique requires to function, I can only use it a maximum number of three to four times in a row. Any more than that would not only exhaust my chakra, but also damage my arm due to how volatile the nature is. Plus, due to how this technique has been designed to function, when used in the proper manner, it can do something like this." To further illustrate what he meant, the man turned his attention to a nearby mound of rock the size of a house, and dashed straight at it.

The members of Team 7 then watched in awe as their teacher drew back his lightning encased hand and drove the attack straight into the surface of the boulder. The result not only allowed him to punch a massive hole through it, but also fractured and shattered the rest of the mound from top to boulder. The entire monolith of earth then fell apart and crumbled to the ground to form a pile of enormous chunks of rubble, which in turn freed Kakashi's arm and allowed him to withdraw it.

Seconds later, the electricity once coating his limb then died out, allowed him to show the kids his unscathed limb and the results of his jab.

"Holy crap," Naruto remarked upon seeing the remains of the tor lying behind the Jonin. "You just… _split_ that gigantic thing in half… effortlessly."

"With the right shape and a decent amount of power, a technique like this can cause some serious damage to an obstacle or person. This is why I don't use this jutsu often… not unless I'm fighting to protect a comrade or if a situation becomes extremely dire," Kakashi stated, before lowering his arm and walking back to where his team was standing and gaping at him.

It was then Sasuke cued onto something important. "If it's so dangerous… why are you choosing to teach us this?"

At this point, the Jonin's expression became quite stern. "The competition you are likely to encounter during the Chunin Exams is going to test and push you beyond anything you guys have ever faced before. They will be dangerous… and the trials will likely end up costing a lot of competitors their lives. And based on what we observed during the mock battle yesterday, I believe it is imperative that you guys learn a technique that will be able to effectively counter whatever attack that Ryofu girl used on Naruto-kun."

Quickly remembering the events of yesterday and the blast that the Genin from _Kirigakure_ had demonstrated in front of the entire stadium, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura quickly saw reason behind their teacher's decision to teach them this technique. So, after sharing glances with one another, the trio then gave their squad mates a nod each, before quietly looking back at their instructor- who for the first time in a while had actually come off as a true, cool professional of his trade.

"It isn't just for defensive purposes either," Kakashi continued while keeping his hands in his pockets. "The principles behind learning a jutsu like this will also give you a much better idea of how shape and nature transformation works, and will help improve your understanding of elemental jutsu as a whole. In addition to this, the training that is required to master both aspects of this subject will further enhance your overall stamina, chakra control, and physical capabilities- due to how strenuous and lengthy the sessions are."

Feeling even more pumped up than before, despite the gravity of it all, Sasuke broke out one of his rare smiles and spoke, "So when do we start?" His enthusiasm was matched by the similar grins worn by Naruto and Sakura- both of whom were awake and raring to go.

Sensing his squad's eagerness skyrocketing, Kakashi raised a hand and held it up in a metaphorical stop. "Before we go any further, you guys need to know that mastering shape and nature transformations isn't an easy process. There is a lot of hard work and attention involved in learning these techniques, and can take up a great deal of your time as a shinobi," Kakashi informed while slipping both hands into his pockets. As he eyed the three members of his team carefully, a very serious glint soon appeared in his eye. "The training is also very taxing on the body and can easily lead to fatigue, which oftentimes will cause you to faint. So be sure not to rush any of the steps and don't push yourself any further than you have to. Understand?" When he saw the trio straighten up and nod, the man then continued. "If all goes well, the three of you should come out of this much stronger than you already are. By then, I expect you'll be more than ready to face off against any of the Genin in the Chunin Exams."

At this point, Sakura then raised her hand. "Will we also be learning about anything else while we're at it, sensei? Like more numbers, strategy material and all that stuff?"

"One step at a time, Sakura-chan," Kakashi replied, clearly sensing the girl's eagerness shining through her complexion as she stood there with an expectant expression in play. "I'll divide up the timetable accordingly and assign tasks to each of you based on how well the three of you are progressing. But to start things off, let's see what kind of weapons you're packing." He then gestured to the papers in their hands. "Whenever you're ready, send a small sliver of chakra through each of your cards. If the paper splits, your affinity will be identified as wind. If it burns, your chakra type is fire. If it crumbles, it's earth. If your paper gets soggy, your chakra is leaning towards water. And if it wrinkles, your affinity is lightning."

Instruction given, the three Genin then looked down at their sheets of paper and concentrated. After a few seconds of focusing their energy into their hands and then into their fingers, just as they had learned through the Tree Walking Exercise, the three of them quickly got their results.

The corners of Sasuke's paper immediately lit up and began to burn, with the fire slowly but surely running down the sheet and turning the thin white rectangle into a cloud of ash. The Uchiha's expression didn't show any hint of surprise to this at all, as he simply dusted off his hand afterwards.

Sakura looked on in awe when she saw her paper instantly become soggy, which then had her look the remaining paper over to see if anything else would happen, until it fell apart from being too wet. "Oops."

As for Naruto, after he pushed his chakra through, the blond blinked in surprise when the entire card split in half. The sight had the blond grin broadly, while Tama simply wagged her tail happily at the sight, before giving a very triumphant yip.

Seeing his three students each effect their given papers in completely different ways from one another, Kakashi nodded his head in approval while slipping both hands back into his pockets. "And that's it. Nothing fancy. Nothing flashy. Just straight to the point. Sasuke-kun has shown us that he has a strong affinity towards Fire type chakra- no surprises there. Sakura's chakra displays the qualities of being Water type. And Naruto-kun's chakra displays the qualities of having an affinity for Wind. All in all, these are quite reasonable and expectant results. Though I must point out that a person having an affinity towards Wind type chakra is actually quite rare, especially amongst shinobi in our village." This statement had Kakashi glance towards his blond student and smile. "Congratulations."

The boy in the white jacket and blue scarf chuckled and massaged the back of his head bashfully. "To be honest, I had no idea myself. This is the first time I've ever done something like this. All the other times I've just been using taijutsu, the _**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_ (Shadow Clone Technique), and Tama's techniques." This was followed up by a happy bark from the fox in question.

After giggling at the fox's bark and her crush's breakdown of his list of abilities, Sakura then turned back to their teacher. "What now, sensei?"

The silver haired male straightened up. "Since we've established who has what element at their disposal, I'll now be able to lay out the proper instructions and tools the three of you will need to follow to build on what you've displayed. For the next month, all three of you are going to be working on developing a technique similar to the one that I showed you. The main difference is that you're going to apply your own nature transformation to it. In other words, instead of the lightning chakra that I used to produce my Raikiri (Lightning Blade), you are going to use the wind, fire, and water elements at your disposal to create your own, original techniques." His statement caused all three youngsters to grin and clench their fists in excitement, which immediately told the Jonin all he needed to know. "I'll make sure to split up my time equally between training the three of you so that you're all on the right track, and understand the processes I will be giving you. Got it?"

" _ **Hai, sensei!"**_ the three members of Team 7 responded.

"Excellent," the Jonin replied, at the same time smiling through his mask. "Then it's time to move on to our next exercise…"

XXX

(Over the next two weeks)

From there, the training that Squad 7 undertook quickly evolved from simple team-oriented learning to something more along the lines of individualized military courses, each of which were specially designed to test and push the kids to their absolute limits.

To start off their newly formulated table of exercises leading into their nature transformation sessions, as a warm up Kakashi had all three of his young team members walking up and down the side of a nearby cliff while carrying a boulder in their arms, with the intention of strengthening their control over their chakra and the chakra output to their feet. He also instructed them to run this same drill multiple times in a row so that they could get a good workout from it and stretch their endurance levels. For the most part it was effective, though the only one who didn't seem too put off by the laps out of the three of them was Naruto. In fact the boy enjoyed lapping both Sasuke and Sakura consistently.

When that part of the warm up was done, Kakashi also instructed the kids to perform a hand-standing exercise, where they would balance themselves on top of a series of rocks stacked up on top of one another. In order to stop from falling over, they had to send their chakra through her palm and into the rocks to keep them stuck together, while simultaneously building up the tower with more rocks the man would throw their way without having the entire stack come crumbling down. This was yet another good exercise to help build on the children's' concentration and control.

After their opening exercises were completed, the masked Jonin then moved his squad into the real meat of their training, where they would focus their attention on changing the nature of their chakra. In order to do this, each of them had to manipulate their chakra in very specific ways in order to properly exercise and develop their innate elements, as well as bring them out into the open.

The tasks required to accomplish this stage of their training would not only serve as the foundations for everything else that was going to follow, but also give the three Genin additional, long-term goals to live up to. Perfecting a technique of this level was obviously no walk in the park, especially ones that they were going to be designing themselves. Even for shinobi who were exceptionally talented in the art of ninjutsu and chakra control, building their own steps took time, energy, and patience.

However, so long as they followed the principles that their teacher had laid out for them, Kakashi estimated that his three youngsters would be able to pull it off within the next two months. Even though the natures they were practicing were entirely different from one another, the lessons and teachings behind their developments were essentially the same. The real struggles would come from all the trials and errors they were expected to encounter.

In order to flex their elements, Kakashi had given his students three separate activities.

For Naruto, he instructed the blond to try and split a leaf by sandwiching it between his hands and manipulating his chakra in a way that he would be able to split it in half. This method would enable him to bring out his chakra nature's cutting properties, which he would be able to apply to his techniques in order to generate a Wind Release ability. As for how he went about accomplishing this task, the Jonin left up to the youngster's ingenuity and resolve.

Since the delinquent knew his shadow clones would be able to aid him in this area, the youngster created a platoon of doppelgangers and had them all gather leaves from a nearby tree. Once each of them were armed with a leaf, he started working on splitting them.

As for the other two, Kakashi bequeathed onto them a couple of equally perplexing tasks. To Sasuke, he gave the boy a long piece of string, which he then expected the boy to completely burn and transform into ash by drawing on his innate fire nature chakra. The task itself was as difficult as Naruto's cutting one, since he had an object between his hands that needed to be incinerated from end to end, and required a great deal of concentration to execute.

In order to better aid him in his task, the Uchiha activated his Sharingan in order to analyze the flow of chakra he was going to be utilizing to successfully ignite the string between his hands and destroy it.

As for Sakura, Kakashi leant the girl an empty glass cup, which he then told the kunoichi to fill to the brim by putting chakra out from her hands and converting it into water. In terms of the exercise's context and requirements, it was very similar to Naruto and Sasuke's, only the kunoichi was expected to conjure something out of nothing, and pull it off consistently without any hand seals. It was also going to take a lot of energy on the girl's part, which in turn would help increase her stamina.

However, considering her chakra control was absolutely superb compared to her teammates', it was easy to see that the pink haired Genin would have no problems keeping pace with Naruto and Sasuke.

Seeing as how these exercises were extremely advanced, Kakashi had every right to believe that it would take a few days for all of them to complete this first part of their training. So, for the next two weeks, the man supervised each of his students in his typical, unmotivated fashion- watching and observing their progress from behind the pages of his _Icha Icha_ book until about midday…

OOO

(A week in)

Just like it had been for yesterday and the day before, the physical and spiritual hazing the trio were currently undergoing continued even today. As the minutes of their morning ticked by, Kakashi kept up his usual routine, keeping an eye on the army of clones Naruto had gathered in the middle of the rocky outcrop, while Sasuke and Sakura stood on opposite sides of the platoon; each focusing intently on their activities.

The collective outcry of the blond doppelgangers filled the entire area, as every one of Naruto's shadow clones held a horse riding stance while their hands were clasped firmly together in front of them. Every several minutes or so a clone would disappear to inform the original of his progress, which had the delinquent youngster crack a momentary smirk of triumph as he concentrated on cutting the leaf between his palms.

Sasuke was also in a similar situation. Sweat dripping down his brow, the boy in the high-collared blue top concentrated on the string between his hands, watching as the end sparked with embers and blackened, causing a small trail of smoke to leave his palms. Apparently pushing his chakra out of his pores and simultaneously converting it into fire wasn't as easy as launching it from his lungs as his family had been teaching one another for the last several generations.

Since he was probably the first one of his family to even attempt this, the Uchiha was even more determined to succeed, and continuing putting chakra into his hands to incinerate the string.

As for the kunoichi on their team, Sakura was also in a fierce state of concentration. With her hands clenching the glass jar, the girl could see her chakra building out into the open. The energy she expelled transformed into water droplets right before her eyes, all of which swirled around one another and slowly filled the growing pool of water at the base of the mug. It was a rather fantastical sight if she was being completely honest and judging from the sweat she also had running down her face, it was extremely difficult.

"Come on. Keep going," the girl continued to whisper to herself, while discreetly looking up at Naruto and his clones standing nearby. _"I need to get this right, so that I can move on with Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san."_

Obviously the potential for competition behind this training was extremely high, as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were each determined to complete this ahead of their teammates. However, remembering what Kakashi said to them about not rushing the exercise or pushing themselves any further than they had to, the trio of Genin made sure to reign in their competitive natures, and simply focused on altering their chakra's elemental properties.

Aside from the frequent glances the three Genin shared with one another, the formation that the squad assumed to conduct this training didn't change at all and- just like they had in the days leading up to this- remained in their positions for a good couple of hours. When the clock eventually struck noon, Kakashi called an end to the session and told his kids to stop. From there, the Jonin looked on in amusement as the three youngsters collapsed to their knees, panting and sweating rivers- while the army of Naruto clones vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Oh… man…" Naruto groaned as he fell flat on his back at looked up at the skies. "Head spins. Oooh… why is the ground moving?"

Sasuke, also collapsing onto his posterior and wiping sweat from his brow, looked across at where Naruto had fallen and frowned, "If you're going to puke… do it away from us please. Because I don't feel like throwing up either."

"Ha! Like I'm gonna," the blond exclaimed while clenching his fist at the raven haired genius. "I've got abs like iron and a chest as hard as steel. There's no way I'm gonna barf."

Sakura, after taking in deep gulps of air, looked across at her crush with a grin, "Your abs and stomach are completely different organs with different functions, Naruto-kun… especially when it comes to nausea and sickness."

"I know. I just wanna let you guys know how tough I am, that's all," the whiskered delinquent chuckled from where he lay, staring up at the sky. This in turn earned a giggle from the pinkette and an amused grunt from an equally exhausted Sasuke.

OOO

From that point the members of squad seven practiced the exact same routine for the whole two weeks. Following up their nature transformation session with a quick spot of lunch to build their energy levels back up and allow them some time to breathe, Kakashi then reserved the next half of the day to focus on a couple of other different aspects of his team's training.

Through use of his shadow clones, the Jonin sparred with all three of his students in taijutsu- building on their individual speed, strength and technique, while also giving them a further taste of what combat against an older and stronger opponent was like. During this small portion of the day, while the man was more than capable of handling Sasuke and Sakura in one-on-one sparring matches using his _Kage Bunshin_ , he himself needed to personally spar against Naruto- as the kid had easily gone past the point of fighting against copies to being able to keep pace with the Jonin himself.

As always, the kid was vicious and extremely versatile in his fighting style, and on one or two occasions even managed to give Kakashi a run for his money when the man wasn't using his Sharingan.

After a couple rounds of taijutsu and bukijutsu- where he Kakashi also encouraged his kids to train using the weapons in their arsenal- the Jonin then used another portion of the session to cover genjutsu. Just like before, he formulated and divided tasks between all three Genin- at first trapping his team in illusions and getting them to break out of them by cancelling their chakra, before then getting them to work on a simple genjutsu technique that they could use to fool their adversaries. What Kakashi ended up discovering while in this field was that Sakura had a rather unusual knack for casting and breaking out of illusions, due to her ability to read and wield chakra so naturally.

In fact, when compared to both Naruto and Sasuke, the girl could see even through a multi-layered illusion without much difficulty. Despite all three of them ended up being stuck in the same technique at the same time, the kunoichi proved her talent in the field by being the first to step out of it almost a split second later, whereas the boys struggled for several seconds to break out.

So, as an added bonus for the kunoichi's stellar performance, Kakashi decided to focus a bit more attention on the pinkette during this part of their training together by teaching her some higher levels of genjutsu that would be useful in her arsenal.

Just like Naruto's fondness for taijutsu, Sakura quickly discovered a strong liking and delight in learning how to cast genjutsu.

And so that was it- the entire time table that the entirety of Team 7 followed for the next two weeks, and what Kakashi planned on having them practice repeatedly leading up into the Chunin Exams.

While the Jonin wanted to spend the last hour of their session together working on other ninjutsu and techniques that the kids specialized in, for the last third of the two-week run, the instructor ended up using that slot of the day showing his kids something else that they could do as a group. It was also an exercise that they managed to pick up quite quickly.

This one in particular had a little less to do with combat and more to do with the practical side behind operating as a shinobi. It also proved to be the most comical…

OOO

(A week and a half in)

Leading his team down from the hills and towards the woods, the squad soon happened upon a lush, open clearing resting beside a series of rocky cliffs, with a lake and a waterfall in its center. Unlike the barren, empty outcrop that they'd been training on for the past several days, this area of the wilds on the border of the village was serene and beautiful, with a clear presence of animals living in the region. Definitely a place you would want to go to for a picnic.

However, sitting down on a checkered mat while sharing their respective families' specially made scones and biscuits was not the reason why Kakashi had brought his team out there for the afternoon. The real reason came after the Jonin had his squad stand at the edge of the small lake, upon which he too stood in front of the water next to them.

The shore that Kakashi had selected for them to face was closer to the cliffs where the rocks lined the perimeter. It was also where the water ran a little deeper around the shallows- about a whole person's depth- making it the ideal spot for this part of his squad's training.

After admiring the scenery and waiting patiently for their teacher to explain something to them, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura then watched as Kakashi not-so-dramatically stuck his foot out over the water. This immediately peeked the team's interest, with the three kids quickly bracing themselves to either witness something amazing or hilarious.

When their teacher finally stepped off the shore, instead of hearing a splash followed by the three kids laughing as hard as they could, Kakashi was instead standing on the surface of the water as if he were still on land. The Jonin then nonchalantly strolled out across the water with his hands in his pockets, going out a few meters before turning around and making a grand gesture toward the surrounding pond. "Well?"

At first responding with a collection of wide-eyed expressions- as this was the first time the three kids were actually seeing a shinobi stand on the surface of the water- Sakura then asked in a squeaky voice, "How?"

Kakashi beamed while lowering his arm, "Channel the chakra to your feet as if you were walking up a tree and go for it. Just remember that the amount of energy you will need to stay afloat will change consistently, due to the water's lucid surface. This makes it much harder than tree-climbing. The same thing applies to any other part of your body that comes into contact with the lake." He then nodded towards the trio. "Get to it."

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke then looked at each other. After watching Tama hop off of her partner's shoulder to sit on the grass nearby to observe, the three kids then smiled and prepared to step off.

"Hold on," Kakashi suddenly called out, stopping the team in their tracks. When the trio looked up at the Jonin, they saw him pull a camera out from his pouch and hold it in front of him between his fingers.

Puzzled looks quickly fell over the group's faces. "What's that for, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Oh. Nothing for you guys to worry about. Just remember to try and make it out to where I am," the elite replied with a rather inconspicuous smile on his face. "You can start whenever you're ready."

Sharing one last look with one another and shrugging, the three kids did as instructed, stepped out, and then unceremoniously fell into the water in complete unison. The big splash the three of them created was promptly captured by Kakashi with his device, which was followed by the man laughing out loud. "Ah. Now this is one of the reasons why I became a teacher. The precious moments like this."

Even Tama was getting a good few snickers out of the sight, as she sat there with a big grin across her tiny snout.

When the three kids emerged from the water, coughing and sputtering, they then swam back over to the rocks and clambered back up. Once they were on dry land, the three kids remained where they were, dripping wet, on all fours, and looking even more miserable than they were at the end of their workouts. After looking down at themselves and then at each other, they then turned back to where their teacher was, where they saw him take another snap of them with his camera before grinning at them through his mask.

"Hey. I'm still waiting for you guys to get out here," Kakashi called out.

The man's cheery exclamation caused the trio to glare daggers at him. After standing up and trying to shake off the water, Naruto then proceeded to rip off his jacket, shirt, scarf, sandals and pants. While Sasuke watched the frustrated blond with an odd expression and Sakura blushed when she saw her crush go topless, the blond then scrubbed his soaked hair with his hands to try and dry them, before promptly stomping towards the water again.

"Oh yeah! Well watch this, sensei!" the delinquent shouted before stepping out, managing to land on the water with one foot before then falling straight in again. When his head surfaced a few seconds later, the kid swore, "Shit!"

"Haha! Good effort, Naruto-kun. But like I said, don't rush it," Kakashi called towards the shore as Naruto scrambled back out of the water to join his teammates, both of whom were also taking off their soaked clothes. "The same goes for all of you."

Removing her top and skirt, leaving her in just her spandex bra and shorts, the flustered Sakura then fanned out of her clothes and laid them out on the rocks to dry. "Damn it. I thought I was going to get it the first time."

"Guess it really is a lot different to walking up trees and rocks," Sasuke informed, now only in his blue boxers as he set his shirt across the floor. After shaking out his hair, he then turned to face Naruto when the blond finally pulled himself out of the lake. "Want to go again?"

The blond frowned back before forming his cross-fingered hand seal. When a dozen clones quickly popped into existence from a series of cloud bursts, the original Naruto spoke, "What do you think?"

Sasuke smirked back at his teammate, "I'll take that as a yes." The raven haired boy then focused his attention back on the water and, with a deep, steady breath, hopped out to land on the surface of it.

At the same time the Uchiha acted, the platoon of Narutos all turned and leapt out over the lake to join him. While several of the clones managed to make it a few paces across the loch before falling into it, the rest of them made it even further- only slowing down when they felt themselves beginning to sink into its depths. A few wobbly steps later, two more copies fell in and disappeared, leaving only a handful more Narutos left and a clumsy Sasuke trying to balance themselves on the lake.

The sight of the boys trying their hardest to remain afloat was both surreal and comical at the same time.

"Whoa… this is a lot harder than it looks," one of the Naruto copies exclaimed, dropping onto his knees when his soles sank a couple of centimeters before correcting. "Oh. Okay. I… think I've got it now." A splash next to him prompted the Naruto to turn to see another of his shadow clones had fallen in, causing the still living copy to shake his head. "Dumbass."

As Sasuke staggered over the water, having to keep his hands out to try and keep his balance, along with the three remaining Narutos trying to do the same thing, the group was interrupted from their progress when- coming up from behind- they saw Sakura stroll right between their formation and across the water, with her eyes closed and a happy smile on her face.

The surprised Narutos and Sasuke watched the pinkette practically skip a few paces after passing them, before reaching the spot where Kakashi was standing and turning to face them.

The girl then smiled and plopped her hands behind her back. "Hey. Looks like I win." She then playfully stuck her tongue out at the pair.

Seeing the kunoichi reach him first came as no surprise to the silver-haired elite, who then turned to beam at the boys still struggling to keep steady. "Ah. I think I might have a new prodigy on my team. What do you think, Naruto-kun? Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto blinked a couple more times before grinning broadly, "Sakura-chan has always been super talented. You should've seen her when we were doing the tree walking exercise, sensei. She was _awesome_." His compliment of course was greatly appreciated by the pinkette, who couldn't help but sway on the spot in a bashful manner. During which time the original blond slowly straightened up on the lake's surface and, after a couple of tentative steps forward, then began to walk normally. "Ah. There we go, dattebayo." It certainly helped when his two remaining clones did the same thing- walking a few paces before eventually dispelling and passing on the memories to him.

In response, the smiling Sasuke then activated his Sharingan. Quickly checking his feet for the chakra flow, the genius stood up and deactivated his kekkei genkai. Upon which he then moved over to where Naruto was and stopped alongside him in front of their teacher.

Kakashi in return nodded in approval. "Good. I can see all of you are slowly getting the hang of it. But we're not done yet." Seeing the trio form up in front of him, the masked Jonin then raised a hand and gestured around the pond. "You guys need to get used to using the water-walking technique without thinking about it. So, in order to improve your control and automaticity with it, I want you guys to move around the area and try out some light shadow sparring together until you've mastered this. Just remember to keep the chakra flow to your feet consistent and your balance stable, okay?"

And so, with their next set of instructions given, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura proceeded to try out their new water walking abilities and spread themselves out over the water. Using up whatever time they had left for the afternoon, the group hopped and moved about the area at their leisure, punching and kicking the air, jumping around, and firing off random jutsu- all the while maintaining their buoyant states atop the forest-side lake.

As he had been for the past few days, Kakashi kept his distance and observed, watching Sasuke balance himself on one hand on the water, while Naruto showed Sakura some more taijutsu techniques. Seeing his group working together so well helped to put a big smile on his face, which remained concealed beneath the cloth of his mask.

From her bank, the observing Tama wagged her tail happily- completely ignoring the fact that the sky was starting to turn orange as the sun slowly set over the horizon.

XXX

A lot of big milestones were covered over those two weeks. While the water walking exercise was perhaps the biggest achievement the three members of Team 7 were able to accomplish under the guidance of their instructor, it was the nature transformation training that proved to be the most fruitful.

By the end of the fourteen days, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were able to complete their training, and had successfully managed to convert their chakra into their specific elements. The blond was able to use all of his clones to cut the leaves between their palms in an instant, by visualizing their chakra as a thin blade flowing in two different directions when rubbing together. The Uchiha, drawing on his previous experiences with manipulating _**Katon**_ (Fire Release) techniques, was able to completely incinerate the string between his palms with barely a grunt. And Sakura was able to fill an entire glass with water-based chakra with only a small sliver of concentration.

The success the squad was able to draw on this came not only from their delight at being able to complete the tests, but also feeling their stamina had grown over the brief period. However, while the trio were able to overcome this trial and complete their goals as a group, this was only the start.

Now that all of them had successfully managed to convert their chakra to their natural affinities to a certain extent, Kakashi now intended for them to strengthen their control and usage of it even further- by having his students manipulate their chakra on a much larger scale. This inevitably would allow them to draw on their affinity and exude it from their body's tenketsu at will, allowing them more versatility and flexibility over their chakra, and with limited use of hand seals.

As soon as the three members of squad seven had completed their first task to a satisfying degree, Kakashi then gave the kids their next training task. Just like before, each of their activities were differentiated according to their elemental affinities, yet all of them were expected to be completed at the same time.

Using the same clearing as they had before to do their water walking exercise, on the very next day at the end of their first fortnight of training, Kakashi had his three students divide themselves up across the grove. Once again the elite supervised them with shadow clones.

For Naruto, the Jonin instructed the delinquent to cut the flow of the nearby waterfall using his wind chakra. The way he had to do this was simple in theory, but was actually quite complicated and strenuous in its execution.

After leading the blond behind the falls in question, the teacher had his blond fire starter position himself on one of the ledges about halfway up. Upon producing a row of shadow clones to fill up the entire edge from end to end, the elite then told him to position his hands against the cascading water, and send his chakra through his palms, in the same way he did to split the leaf. Once he was able to split the waterfall and successfully stop its flow completely, Naruto will have more or less mastered the ability to use nature transformation as a utility and battle element.

The instant the Genin started practicing with his copies, the youngster immediately discovered that he was unable to cut the waterfall as easily as he did the leaf. When all he received in return for his first burst of effort was a splash followed by nothing, the results quickly told him that this portion of the training was going to take a lot longer than the last one. So, with his objective set, he got straight into it.

On Sakura's end, Kakashi gave the young female of the team a slightly tougher task. Through use of one of the large boulders that were resting in the clearing by the lake, he instructed the kunoichi to push her chakra through it, with the expectation that she was to use her water element to soak the stone and burrow it to the other side. This training, like Naruto's waterfall cutting, was a much harder exercise than the previous one by a wide margin, in which the Genin was going to use her element in a more practical application to strengthen it.

The first few tries saw the kunoichi soak the face of the boulder without doing anything but slicken its surface. Realizing she was going to need to successfully cut into the stone with her chakra through a combination of concentration and pressure, Sakura began focusing all of her efforts into doing just that. And just like her blond teammate's mission, the difficulty this task posed was several times greater than it was before.

The same thing applied to Sasuke. Instead of using his chakra to burn through a tiny bit of string between his hands, the Uchiha needed to be able to use his nature transformation on the base of an entire tree. When Kakashi first explained his task to the raven haired prodigy, the boy thought that the man was joking, as the towering flora was much larger and sturdier than a piece of string. But after seeing Naruto and Sakura be given equally impossible-sounding tasks that they were expected to master by the end of the month, the young heir sucked it up and got right to trying to burn through the wood.

This second stage of their training would prove to be the most time-consuming of their activities- and thus summed up the timetable they would follow for the next month.

Cliff-walking and boulder-balancing as a warm up. Nature transformation manipulation training. Lunch, followed by several rounds of taijutsu. Genjutsu training. And finished off with free-training or ninjutsu work.

Whenever they were not on missions, this schedule encompassed the entirety of the group's day-to-day lives, with the exception of the rare break. Like the other teachers, Kakashi was determined to have his students ready for the Chunin Exams as soon as possible, and based on the mood in his squad, so were his students.

As he promised, the Jonin also looked for any suitable missions his team would be able to go on over the next couple of months, just so that they could keep up their experience and earn some more cash. But for the time being the group stayed the course.

It was going to be a long couple of months leading to the Grand Chunin Exams and they didn't intend to waste a single moment.

XXX

(A few days later)

(Morning)

"And… that should do it!" Naruto called out, trotting to a stop along the road he'd been running and turning around. Taking in a couple of deep breaths, the whiskered boy in the long-sleeved black shirt, orange pants and blue scarf then ceased his jogging, allowing his movements to still. At about the same time, he saw Tayuya jog to a stop alongside her- the girl being adorned in a khaki gym singlet and black spandex shorts.

Based on the sweat running down their brows and the clothing that they were wearing, it was clear that both the blond and his redheaded roommate had just finished a very rigorous run.

Inhaling deeply as well, the sweaty flute player ran a hand back through her damp locks and groaned, "Fuck me. That was awesome. Especially that last sprint."

"Oh yeah. Can you feel the burn?" Naruto asked. His question was met by a cheerful nod from the girl, which prompted him to grin. "Then that means you did good." After sharing a high-five with his girlfriend, before being playfully punched in the shoulder by her as per the usual routine, the spiky haired blond then turned back to the path he'd just followed and grinned at the other people that's joined them. "Yo! How was that, you guys?"

His first and most immediate response was a low, pained whine from his pink-haired teammate.

"My lungs… are on fire!" a distraught Sakura practically cried out, as she'd practically collapsed face-first on the floor just a few yards from where Naruto and Tayuya stopped. "My whole body… _everything_ … is on fire…" Her exclamation and anguish was a feeling that was shared by the other kids who were with her, all of whom had also collapsed after finally catching up to her.

The two delinquents allowed looks of amusement to flash through their eyes as they gazed down at the group that'd attempted to keep up with them during their morning run. Well… _attempted_ was sort of debatable at this point. With the pace that both Naruto and Tayuya had set throughout the marathon, along with the regular sprints that they had their companions do, they practically destroyed their friends.

That wasn't metaphorical either. Not only was Sakura lying face down in the dirt in her favorite two-piece qi pao shirt and skirt, looking as though she was about to pass out right then and there, but Sasuke was also on his hands and knees and practically crawling forward with a pale, sickly look on his face, and Tenten was sprawled out on her back and taking in deep gulps of air, while her limbs twitched helplessly where she lay.

Tama, who'd also joined the kids on their run, sat on the road beside Naruto, and listened to the moans of their compatriots.

"Ugh… *cough-cough*… help… me…" Sasuke groaned in a low voice as he collapsed onto his chest on the road, looking as though he was about to heave up his guts. "I can't… feel my legs…"

"Oh, Kami-sama… I'm ready," Tenten whimpered, plucking a random flower from the grass within arm's reach of her and holding it over her chest. "Take me with you."

While Tayuya had to practically hang off of Naruto's shoulder to stop from falling over with laughter, the blond delinquent placed his hands on his hips as he turned to grin at his three companions. "Come on, guys. It wasn't _that_ bad."

"S-Speak for yourself…" Tenten coughed out, at the same time opening her eyes and looking back at the pair, both of whom didn't look in the least bit exhausted. "That was ridiculous. Your training sessions… are even worse than my teammate's." Hell, at the pace they'd run, she was pretty sure even their teacher would've been hard-pressed to keep up. As she rolled back over onto her front, she then looked up at the boy still standing over her. "Why exactly…*cough*… did I agree… to go with you guys this morning?"

In response, the flute player- who'd finished laughing off of her roommate's shoulder- cocked an eyebrow at the girl with the Ox-horn hair style and smirked. "Because you wanted to avoid going on your teammate's crazy, early morning training session?" Otherwise known as Rock Lee's training.

Opening her mouth to object, Tenten then closed it shut and looked away with a pout. "Well… yeah. But I figured your training would be a lot easier than his." She then looked back at her blond friend with the same expression. "Guess I was wrong."

"Heh. Dream on, Stardust. Have you seen _me_ recently?" Naruto asked while holding an arm out and gesturing to himself, and showing off the incredibly firm and noticeable contours of his muscles beneath his tight shirt. His little action and question had Tenten stare at him for a moment. When the kunoichi realized she was gaping at him, she quickly turned away and blushed a light shade of red. "See? I didn't get like this from taking it easy in my training. I had to push myself beyond my limits and then some."

"I… I kind of noticed…" Tenten stuttered slightly, before clearing her throat.

"Also, did you think that we were done for our training today?" Tayuya asked while leaning forward and grinning at the fallen Genin. "Hell no. This was just the warm-up portion of our morning sessions. The real work comes from after we move back to our bamboo grove just outside of our district." Her statement had Sasuke and Tenten practically gape up at the girl, before their bodies just gave out on their own right there on the spot. The sight of their dismay caused the flute player's grin to broaden. "So… who's up for some more?"

While the still grounded Sasuke and Tenten groaned away their pains and exhaustion, Sakura slowly started to recover her bearings. Being the first of the three to recover- as she was already sort of used to Naruto's insane training regimen from previous experiences- the pinkette promptly pushed herself up off of the floor and back onto her feet. Wobbling slightly when she stood, the girl then gave a big stretch before turning to the blond in front of her. "Any particular reason why you wanted to go on an even harder run this morning, Naruto-kun?"

The delinquent smiled back at her. "Well, since Kakashi-sensei gave us the day off today, I figured I'd burn off whatever excess energy I had left by doubling up on my speed and making myself sweat a little." He then nodded over the girl's shoulder. "Plus, since his majesty told me he wanted to get a taste of what my regular training routine was like, I figured I'd go at my usual middle pace and make him work for it. He also kept telling me to go faster."

"I didn't tell you to go _faster_ …" the Uchiha groaned from his place on the floor, his voice muffled by the dirt in his face. "I said I wanted you to _slow down_. Like ten times…"

Naruto looked over Sakura's shoulder at the resident genius and grinned mischievously, "Yeah. I heard you. But didn't I say that every time one of you told me to slow down that I would speed up some more? I think I remember telling you guys that at the start of our run."

A weak chuckle left Tenten's lips. "True. He did say that."

"And don't forget, we're the ones wearing training weights," Tayuya informed, while at the same time showing off her wrist and the band of bars wrapped around it. "Compared to us, you guys had it easy."

"Not me," Sakura replied while also tapping at the wrist bands she was wearing. "I've got at most half the weight you guys are carrying, but these things are still stupidly heavy."

Sasuke coughed out when he looked up at the three kids on their feet and frowned, "Hate you. Hate you all."

"Oh, don't be such a pussy, Uchiha," Tayuya laughed, at the same time feeling Tama hop up onto her shoulder and perching herself there. Giving the white kitsune a pat, the redhead then turned to the pinkette in front of her. "Anyway, since most of us are close to dying, why don't we have an easy walk back to our starting point? Give us time to rest up and stretch ourselves out?"

In response, Sakura beamed and shrugged, "Sure. Sounds good." She then stepped over to Naruto and poked him in the chest, "But just so you know, you're buying me breakfast after this, Naruto-kun."

Her teammate grinned, "Heh. Fair enough."

As soon as Sasuke and Tenten had gotten feeling back into their limbs and were able to pick themselves off the ground, the odd group of youngsters slowly started heading back towards the village. Since their run had ended close to the outskirts of _Konohagakure_ \- in an area where they were surrounded by rice fields and farms- it was clear that they had some ways to travel before they were back in the suburban districts where they'd started. This was good news for most of the Genin, since it was obvious that it was going to take a while before their bones stopped creaking.

While they were ambling down the road in no particular formation- with Naruto having a chat with Tenten and Sakura on either side of him, while Sasuke was asking Tayuya over how she managed to put up with the blonde's training- the mixed group suddenly happened upon a rather peculiar sight.

Standing on the side of the main road, which cut through two large acres of crops, the kids spotted a large, four-wheeled wagon with a tent on the top, and a burly man of incredibly short stature attempting to push it from behind. From the way that the large carriage was resting lopsided in the dirt and the fact that two of its wheels had sunk into the ground, it was clear that the transport was stuck, and the merchant was unable to push it out.

The string of curses he was emitting with every grunt he gave made his situation that much clearer.

"Darn it… curse this rotten piece of junk! Ragh!" the man growled as he once again rammed his shoulder into the back. "Come on, you stupid thing! Move!" Due to his current state of anger and concentration, he was completely unaware that of the presence of the six Genin, all of whom had stopped just a few feet away and were watching from the side of the road. After a few more pushes, the short man in the boots, vest, and blacksmith apron stepped away and punched the back door of his trailer. "Shit! Why in hell did that dumb animal have to run off?"

"Uh? Sir?" Tenten spoke up, drawing the man's attention towards her, "Is… umm… is everything okay over here?"

"No. Nothing's okay," the short merchant replied while rubbing the back of his neck and pointing towards the cart he'd been trying to heave with his own body weight. "Not only has the dumbass that was supposed to be pulling this thing run off somewhere, but he left the damn wagon stuck halfway to Helheim. And now the damn thing won't budge." Judging from the tone of his voice, the man clearly wasn't in a good mood.

At this point, the five kids used that opportunity to get a good look at the person who was currently in dire straits. Aside from the fact that he was bald, had a scraggly black beard, and was both short in stature and burly to boot, but the merchant was also adorned in a set of well-crafted, leather and golden-armor that did not originate from this continent. The engravings and symbols clearly reflected along the collar, shoulder and wrist plates was a dead giveaway. Furthermore, the man also wore a leather apron over the front of his chest, and a utility belt around his waist stuffed with all sorts of tools- from hammers, to knives, to chisels. The heavy duty boots and equipment more or less told the Genin that the traveler was some kind of metal worker or blacksmith, with the light traces of soot on his hands being a further indication of his profession.

However, what really stood out most about the individual wasn't his "charming personality", his shorter than average size, or his toolkit, but the fact that his skin was completely blue in color. And this wasn't a light pigmentation in his skin. No. From his shiny bald head to his toes, he was completely blue.

This being a shinobi village, the kids thought there wouldn't be very many things out there in the world that could surprise them these days. However, the universe had once again decided to throw them yet another curve ball, showing them that there were indeed some strange miracles out there.

Anyway, upon hearing the man's plight and analyzing the problem, Naruto approached the man and surveyed the state of the wagon. "Did your ox get loose or something?" the blond asked.

In response, the blue dwarf grunted in amusement. "Ox? Ha. You're funny kid. You are a kid, aren't yah?" He then waved at the cart next to them, "No, it was a big, fuckin' deer of some kind. I don't know. I never asked what kind of deer he was. But he was big enough and strong enough to pull my shop halfway across this damn continent."

Sasuke, having come around to check the front of the carriage, then began analyzing the tracks leading away from it. By this point, the rest of the kids had also come along to check out the wagon, and were now gathered around the point of distress.

"He have a name?" Tayuya asked.

"No idea. Rude bastard ain't ever asked mine, so I ain't ever asked his," the blue merchant replied, before glancing across at the kids alongside him- noticing that the raven haired youngster had squatted down to check the ground, while the pinkette next to him was looking over the cart. "But he ain't hard to spot. He's a big buck- as big as a rhino with a white coat, and has two massive antlers on top of his head with bits that glow blue like foxfire- even in the daytime."

"Huh. Doesn't sound like any deer that I know," Naruto remarked.

"Seems more like a creature from a fairytale or a magical wood in some far off country," Sakura also commented from the side, which earned a nod of agreement from the boy.

Standing up after checking the ground, Sasuke then looked back at the group and spoke. "How long has it been since he got away?"

"Oh, I'd say about fifteen… twenty minutes. Why?" the traveler asked.

The Uchiha then looked across the fields laid out before him. "I think I know where he might have gone. I'll chase him down and bring him back here, if I can. Shouldn't take me too long."

"Huh? Really? You'd do that? That'd be great," the traveler said loudly, before then watching the kid with black hair dart off, hurtling the fence into the farmlands and disappearing into the long grass. "If you manage to catch him, be sure to give the lazy goat a big smack on the ass for me! He's earned it!" the man called after the Uchiha, before setting his hands on his belt. "Hm. He's a quick little turd, isn't he?"

Tayuya snorted in response. "Well, you're two thirds right." Hearing the guy laugh at her response, the flute player then turned to him with an interested gleam in her eye. "So what's your name, old-timer?"

"Brokkr. But if that's too hard for you to pronounce, you can just call me Brok," the short man replied, while at the same time walking up to his wagon and rapping the side of it with his hand.

"Are you some kind of smith?" Tenten asked from the other side of the cart, as she'd gone over to that end to check on the wheel.

"Yeah. A blacksmith. How'd you know?" Brok responded in mild surprise.

"The tool kit that you're wearing. You've got an iron press in your front pouch. And also because you have the smell of metal and coal about you," the kunoichi answered, bending over to check the bottom of the cart before poking her head out from behind the carriage to smile at the man. "I have a pretty keen sense about these sort of things. A good friend of mine actually works as a weapon-smith in town."

"Is that so?" the blue-skinned merchant murmured, scratching his chin before allowing a grin to tug at his lips. "Well, young lady, I think you and I are going to have to have a bit of a sit-down a little later. Have a talk about some of the weapons and armor that you like. Perhaps I'll be able to make some for you."

"So where exactly do you want this thing?" Naruto suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention towards the front of the cart where the horse or ox would normally be tied. When everyone stepped around to see the blond standing at the front, they then saw him thumb down the road. "You were heading _that_ way, right? Before your animal decided to pull a runner on you."

Brok, appearing a bit puzzled, then raised his hand and gestured towards the upcoming intersection. "Yeah. I was planning on setting up my stall at the corner of the next fork in the road. There's a really nice patch of ground over there that's not being used. It's the perfect spot for me to start getting some work done and not be disturbed by the locals. Pft." He then watched in confusion as the blond strolled up to one of the handles and tested the feel of it with his hands. "What? Are you planning on hauling this thing over there?"

"Uh-huh," Naruto replied cheerfully.

"All by your tiny self?" Brok asked again.

Tayuya, stepping back and folding her arms, chuckled when she saw the excitement on her roommate's face. "Trust me, bluebeard. Shithead may be small, but he's got the strength of ten elephants put together." She was soon joined by Sakura and Tenten moving over to stand beside her.

"Huh? What does that-WHOA, NELLY!" Brok shouted when, with barely a grunt of effort, he saw Naruto lift the cart's entire front out of the mud and then shuffle it around to deposit it on a dry patch of road. Upon which the Genin then effortlessly grabbed the wooden bars that were previously hitched to its steed, before starting to pull it along at a comfortable pace. Seeing the wagon begin to trundle down the road while being steered by the blond had the wide-eyed, blue-skinned traveler shake his head in disbelief. "Damn, son. What have the adults been feeding you in this village?"

Naruto laughed as he looked back at the merchant and saw him and the girls begin to follow, "Oats, fried rice, and tons of ramen. It all depends on the time and the day."

"Well, I'll be sure to get me some of that while I'm here," Brok commented, shuffling after his carriage, along with the three girls. The man then turned to the pinkette next to him and gestured to the Genin. "Hey, your boyfriend there is one hell of a powerhouse. Certainly reminds me of a few other people I used to know back in the day. If you ask me, I bet he'll make you _really_ happy one of these days, if you catch my drift." He then winked at her cheekily.

Her face instantly turning beat red at the comment, Sakura quickly fell into a stutter while Tayuya snickered next to her. "B-B-B-Boyfriend? H-He… I… I mean, we-uhh… he… and I… uhh… buh-"

"He-uhh? I-uhh? Bluh-huh? Guh? What's that? I can't quite understand yah? Speak up?" the merchant replied while holding a hand over his ear. Hearing the kunoichi stammer even more, Brok then gave a laugh and waved at her. "Ah, I'm just messin' with you, kid. I just assumed he was with one of you three and made a bit of a joke about it. He just seems like a really reliable fellow to me."

"That's putting it mildly," Tayuya added, at the same time giving the sight of the working Naruto a smile. Her comment earned an amused look from Brok, who continued ambling along with the girls at a comfortable pace.

As the group carried along and the wagon continued to trundle, the girls and Brok failed to notice the little white fox perched on Tayuya's shoulder glaring across at the blue-skinned merchant. Despite her silent state, the look in the anima's eyes indicated that something was wrong with her, as she couldn't help but allow an irritated sounding hiss to leave her.

When the group eventually came across the crossroad further down the main road about twenty minutes later, Naruto was able to wheel the cart about and position it on a suitable spot on the corner. Immediately upon dropping the bar and stepping away from the heavy transport, he saw that they'd managed to move even closer to the hidden leaf's western suburban areas, which sat just a field or so away from where they were currently standing. He could also see the Hokage Tower and the mountain much more clearly in the distance, which made working out their current location easier based on their geography.

As the Genin stepped away from the wagon, Brok wallowed past Naruto and gave him a heavy pat on the back. "Thanks a lot, son. Great work." He then walked up to his wagon and loudly slapped its side. "When word gets out about my new shop, people from all over the country will be flocking to this area! They'll be practically clawing all over each other just to catch a whiff of my wares- you watch!"

Tayuya placed her hands on her hips as she inspected the now newly setup cart, "Is the quality of your work really that good?"

"Ha! Is my work that good, she asks?" Brok asked with a huff, "Well, why don't you see for yerselves?" Reaching under the canvas draped over the side, the dwarven blacksmith then gave a hard yank of the rope that was hanging there.

All of a sudden, a lot of things started to happen that completely defied belief. A series of loud clangs, clanks and bangs then started to ring out, with Naruto, Sakura, Tayuya and Tenten taking a step back when, in a matter of seconds, the entire wagon that the blond had been pulling along started to transform. Like a fully automated caravan, the carriage unfolded itself into a much larger and much bigger facility then the kids were expecting.

The tent sitting at the top of the cart fanned out further to cover the entire intersection's corner, the wheels of the carriage folded themselves in, and the sides of the wagon shot out to arc around the stationary Brok. Whatever gears, pulleys and ropes had been set up inside of the wagon worked in tandem with each other to fully unbox the store that was concealed inside of it.

About a minute later, once all of the tables and shelves had been unfolded, and the workstation had finished spreading itself out, a store similar to one you would find in a bazaar had set itself up on the corner of the crossroad. The group of Genin could only gawk when Brok, smirking proudly, dusted his hands down and made himself at home at what was assumedly the front desk.

"No wonder it was a lot heavier than a regular cart," Naruto muttered under his breath as he peered inside. "It had a damn furnace and stone chimney inside."

"Well? What do you think?" the merchant asked while gesturing to the racks of weapons and shelves of armor all around him. "Feel free to look around and have a browse. But be careful with the chain maces on the right! Some of the notches are serrated and liable to cut your fingers off if you run your hands over them."

Excited by the prospect of window-shopping at this fantastical store, Naruto, Sakura, Tayuya and Tenten approached Brok's mobile store and began perusing over the gear. Due to the way the shelves and stacks had been setup, it allowed them free access both in and around the entire tent, with the group spreading themselves out to have a closer look at each individual row and column of goods on display.

About twenty minutes of browsing later, the group was soon joined by the unexpected surprise that was Sasuke- only he wasn't alone. When the Uchiha came trudging back down the road from the direction of the farmlands, the boy was dragging with him the hulking form of the large elk that had detached itself from the front of Brok's caravan. Just as he said, the thing was as big as a rhino, with a white hide, and antlers that were glowing. Seeing the boy actually walk up to the unfolded store with the giant mammal was almost surreal.

"Found him," the Uchiha said, in a tone that indicated catching the thing wasn't that difficult at all. "He was standing by the stream a little ways from where you lost him, behind a tree. Perhaps he just needed a little drink."

"Ah. Figures. Bugger was whining like a mule the moment we entered this area," Brok replied, at the same time setting his hands on his fists and nodding towards the fence behind him. "Just tie him up by the trough behind the wagon and lay him down. Then you can come over and check out some of the goods I'm selling." He then threw his arms out and grinned. "And hey! Because you kids have been such a big help to me, I'll let you buy anything you want off the shelves for a third of the price! Anything you want!"

Doing as instructed, Sasuke led the giant, white elk over to the back of the wagon and strapped his reigns to the post. After which the Uchiha quickly ducked in and joined his friends in looking over the weapons on the shelves.

As to be expected, the dwarf had a huge range of goods and not just in the stuff that they would normally find on their continent. His wagon was packed with all sorts of swords, scythes, spears, bows, arrows, axes, and hammers. The man had a plethora of material, all properly catalogued and labeled based on their range and quality. To say that any of these were rusted, bent, chipped or dirty would've given Brok a bit of insult, because everything was shiny, clean and looking brand-spanking new. This told them that the man looked after his gear like it was his own children, showing a true love and passion for his craft.

Tenten was practically floating on air as she danced from shelf to shelf, her eyes alight with wonder and awe as she inspected every tool on for sale. She even giggled when she saw a series of intricately crafted kunai with different blade shapes and types, all of which had been mass produced by the blacksmith.

When Brok saw Tenten pick up one of the thin kunai from the shelf and balance it between her fingers, the man grinned. "My latest creations. Ever since I came to this continent over two millenia ago, I quickly learned the types of tools the warriors of this land used. Needless to say, the gadgets that your kind walks around with really inspired me."

Tayuya, who was checking out some of the heavy-looking swords on the back wall, then picked up one of the single-handed blades and measured it out. When she gave it a couple of testing swings, she then turned to look at the merchant with interest. "What kind of sword is this?"

Looking at what the kunoichi had plucked, Brok smirked. "That would be a gladius. It was a weapon used by the warriors of Europa hundreds of years ago- and was used by the soldiers of the Roman Empire. The blade might be short, but it's incredibly versatile and durable, and quite effective with dealing damage in close-quarters."

"Cool," Tayuya whistled, before then putting the weapon back.

Sniffing loudly, the dwarven worker then beamed across at the blond haired youngster who'd helped to drag his cart all the way over here. "I have no shortage of steel in my inventory. I promise you, if you look long and hard enough around my store, you'll be able to find something that catches your eye. That'll tell you right away that that is a weapon made for _you_." He then leaned forward on his serving desk as he saw Sasuke stop by a rack with a number of katana lying across it. "I remember back in the good old days when my brother Eitri and I used to make all kinds of tools and weapons, right when we'd just set up shop."

Naruto across at the man from where he was standing, "You had a brother? What happened to him?"

"Ah, we ended up having a big argument over the methods we were using as of late, so we decided to split the business- fifty/fifty. The brand that we used to mark our works also ended up being divided between us. After that the blockhead and I went our separate ways. I haven't seen the little idiot since," Brok sighed while shaking his head. After a quiet moment, the man then went back to pointing out his store. "But seriously, back in the day the two of us were unstoppable. In fact, our craftsmanship was made so famous across the Nine Realms that even the fucking Gods themselves came to us for help." The man then rubbed his chin and smiled. "Our greatest works would definitely have to be the golden spear _**Gungnir**_ , which we crafted for Odin, and the hammer _**Mjölnir**_ , which we made for his big, idiot son Thor. You guys have heard of Thor, right?"

All at once, Naruto, Tayuya, Tenten and Sasuke shook their heads, while Sakura was too distracted with looking at one of the weapons hanging up on the wall to hear.

Brok's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait… so… you guys haven't heard of Thor? The Aesir _God of Thunder_? Thor?" When he saw them shake their heads again, the dwarf was still in a state of disbelief. "Seriously?"

" _ **I have,"**_ Tama suddenly spoke from Tayuya's shoulder, drawing Brok's attention to the animal. As soon as everyone's eyes landed on her, the saw the little vixen hop off of the kunoichi and burst into a ball of blue flames. The inferno flared and twisted around her little body, before dispelling seconds later to reveal the naked, white-haired, incredibly curvaceous and well-endowed form of Tamamo-no-Mai step into view.

The moment she stepped out of the blaze and stopped in front of the desk, the woman placed a hand on her hip and fixed her bright, yellow eyes squarely on the dwarven blacksmith. The sight of the hot, naked fox-woman not only caused Sasuke's and Sakura's faces to light up red, but also caused Tenten to gape in disbelief.

And yes, her face also heated up when she saw the buxom, naked female appear in the store.

Clearly, based solely on their reactions, they weren't expecting the little white fox to suddenly up and transform into a human. The only things that set her apart from ordinary people was that she had a long, white fluffy tail whipping behind her and a pair of fox ears protruding from the top of her head.

Ignoring the fact that she was practically in the buff, the busty Tama glared down at the blue-skinned dwarf, who was so caught by surprise by her appearance that his eyes were almost bugging out.

"Why, blow me down," Brok gasped as he quickly looked the naked female over, "Tamamo-no-Mae? The Fox Princess? Is that you?"

"Hello, Brok," the now transformed vixen replied, her expression twisted into one of annoyance and anger. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. It sure has. What has it been, six, seven, eight hundred years?" the merchant asked while leaning forward on his desk.

"Try three thousand years," Tama replied while continued to glare at the man.

Naruto, being drawn to the conversation just as Tayuya had, slowly approached the fox and the blacksmith, before looking between the two. "Do you two… know each other?"

"I should think so," Tama replied, at the same time glancing down at her blond haired partner next to her. "This man Brokkr- he's a dwarf that has been living in this world since the time of the Middle Ages of Ancient Europa, some thousands of years ago. He and his brother were regarded as two of the best weapon and tool smiths of the era, and crafted some of the most powerful and iconic weapons used by the Archaic Gods of the old world." She then turned and sneered at the smirking dwarf in front of her. "He's also one of the people responsible for crafting the _**Sessho-seki**_ (Killing Stone) that was used to seal my body and spirit away for the last three thousand years. I have to say, I'm surprised to see that he's still alive."

"And _I_ have to say, you're looking just as hot and sexy as the day we first locked you up, missy," Brok stated while crossing his arms and leaning on his back heel in a confident manner. "Tell me, are you still sleeping with the wives of feudal lords and princesses by any chance? Or have you grown tired of that?"

"Bite me," Tama growled back at the man. "I've learned from my mistakes and found a new purpose in my life. My time of mischief and sleeping around is done. But I'm still pretty pissed at what you and your brother did to me, so don't push your luck."

Chuckling quietly, the blue-skinned blacksmith raised his hands and lowered his head, "Fair enough, ma'am. Fair enough. I'll be sure to keep my nose low to the ground around here from now on." He then set his hands behind him once again. "But just so you know… what my brother and I did to you wasn't anythin' personal. We were just asked to make the stone and nothing more."

"Uh-huh," Tama grumbled, at the same time tapping her fingers against her hip.

While Naruto looked between the dwarf and his partner a couple of times, Tenten, who was also present and watching from her side of the shop, then looked across at the dark-skinned beauty and groaned. She then slapped herself in her red face and glared across at the vixen. "For crying out loud, could you please put some clothes on, Tama?"

Realizing that she was standing naked in front of them, the white-haired woman then flicked her head and, in a burst of blue flames that surrounded her, covered her body in a green and white kimono. The addition of the robes helped to put the group at ease and, picking up where they left off, the group continued to browse the shop.

Back over to where Sakura was standing, the pink-haired girl had become incredibly fascinated by one of the weapons on display. This took the form of a large, two-handed war axe that was hanging propped up on the back shelf alongside some other specially crafted ornaments. The weapon was several feet long with a wooden handle and the axe-head itself was decorated by a series of branch patterns and runes, which followed said branches towards the cutting edge of the weapon.

Having spent most of the time from her discovery of it through Tamamo's transformation in front of Brok admiring the weapon, the girl then reached out and tentatively unhooked the tool from the wall. After removing it from the bars and bringing it down to hold it in front of her, the girl was instantly surprised to feel how light it was- despite the blade and shaft being quite large. She had to estimate that it was about two-thirds her height in length, but also just a couple of pounds in weight.

Though the weapon appealed more to warriors who fought in a more brutal manner, the kunoichi was immediately enchanted by the axe's engravings, as well as the elegant curve in its hilt and handle, which seemed to rest comfortably in her grip.

Turning it over a couple of times and admiring the runes on it, the girl then stepped over to the desk directly beside her, where she found Tayuya, Naruto and Tama still chatting with Brok. Her arrival at the table quickly interrupted their conversation.

"Hey. How much is this axe?" Sakura asked curiously, at the same time holding up the weapon for the group to see.

While Naruto and the others were surprised to see the kunoichi's pick up such a weapon from the shelves, the one who was even more shocked was Brok. The dwarf almost seemed to stumble on the spot in surprise, as he then quickly marched up to Sakura and the silver-headed axe she was now carrying. "Hang on. That's… how did you-" Quickly looking back to the hooks where it'd been hung and back to the girl, the merchant then looked up at her. "How in the name of Lady Sif did you manage to pick it up?"

Sakura then appeared worried, "Pick it up? What do you mean?"

Brok then pointed down at the axe she was holding, "That's _**Vindbrotsjór**_ (Wind Breaker)- the axe that my brother and I made especially for the giant _**Nal**_. We designed the axe specifically for her hands, as a weapon that could be used to protect others… and compete against the hammer wielded by Thor, if necessary. It was our greatest masterpiece. The runes inscribed on it are written in a way so that only one who the axe chooses can carry it." He then gaped at the girl in front of him. "You… shouldn't even be able to hold her."

Looking between the dwarf and the axe a couple of times, a slightly uncertain Sakura then looked back up at the man. "Is that a… bad thing?"

"Hm? Could I have a look?" Tenten asked while stepping over to the kunoichi. Upon being asked, the pinkette handed the weapon over to the brown haired girl and gently set it in her grip. Almost as soon as it was placed, the axe suddenly shone brightly along the grip, before suddenly blasting the kunoichi's hands away with a sharp burst of wind. "Gah! What the heck?" The surprised weapon specialist ended up backing up into Tayuya, who had to brace herself for the impact.

"See? That's what happens to anyone who tries to touch or pick up the axe. But _you_ …" Brok again looked at the pinkette in awe, "The axe chose you?"

Sakura, upon rolling the weapon about in her hands a couple of times, then looked back at the shopkeeper with a smile. "So… does that mean you'll sell it to me?" she asked. While looking at the man, she completely missed Tayuya reaching out to tap the axe with her finger, only to have her hand blown away by a flash of wind too.

Upon looking the hopeful girl in the eye and then back down at the large axe she was carrying, the dwarf then inhaled deeply before letting out a sigh. He then rubbed his neck in a thoughtful manner, "Ah, shit. What the hell. Sure. I'll sell it to yah." When he saw Sakura practically skip on the spot in excitement as she looked down at the weapon, Brok then held up his hand. "But just so you know, the only thing special about that axe is that it is choosy. Before you get any funny ideas, the axe doesn't give you any super strength, super speed, the power to fart out unicorns or anything like that. The only true strength the axe has is the strength it gains from its wielder. Do you understand?" Upon seeing the girl nod, the blue-skinned merchant smiled. "Alright… that'll be a thousand ryo."

At first the girl had to rummage about her purse to find the funds that she needed. Of course, seeing as how happy and enthusiastic his friend was to be getting the axe, Naruto helped to fit the bill for her and paid for a third of it. Once they'd handed over the necessary coinage to the shop owner, who had pretty much come to accept the currency from this continent, the group was soon joined by Sasuke strolling over from the back of the store.

When he stopped at the desk, the boy casually and with his same, brooding expression, set a katana down on the table. The moment he laid it across the desk, the boy with raven hair saw Brok glance down at it and back up to him. "How much for this one?"

"Really? You went for this old thing?" Brok asked in surprise, stepping back, bending over and taking a better look at the samurai sword. Analyzing the black handled blade and looking down the black scabbard it was attached to, the dwarf murmured to himself thoughtfully. Even the other kids standing nearby thought that the Uchiha's selection was kind of mundane. "Huh? I think I remember this one. It's not one of mine."

A surprised Naruto looked across at the dwarven smith, "It isn't?"

"Yeah. I actually won this thing in a poker game from some wandering swordsmith I ran into a hundred or so years ago. A charming young fellow. Name was, uhh… _**Masamune Goro**_ … or some other posh-sounding title. He gave this to me after I practically cleaned out his entire wallet- said it would be worth something one day. But after all this time, I haven't been able to make a single copper or ryo off of this damn sword," Brok stated, at the same time straightening up and leaning against the counter. He then looked across at Sasuke inquisitively, "Are you sure you want to buy this thing off of me?"

Sasuke then shrugged, "Nothing else in this store's really speaking to me right now. So I may as well get this."

"Okay then," Brok sighed, before grinning at the young man. "That'll be a hundred ryo. That's pretty much everything that little upstart owed me from that night." When he saw Sasuke pulled a few notes out of his pocket and hand them over, the dwarf took it before smiling across at the kids surrounding his front counter. "If you guys are ever in the neighborhood again and need your tools upgraded or sharpened, feel free to drop by and say hello. Always happy to help a returning customer."

Once all their affairs had been settled and their dues had been paid, the group of Genin said their farewells to the strange man- with Tama giving hers in the form of a hard glare and Tenten stating that she would be back to check out some of his other wonderful creations. As soon as the team had gathered all of their things and made sure they didn't leave anything behind, the youngsters then headed back into the main quarters of the village, leaving Brok and his previously wayward elk steed to their devices. Along the way, Sasuke and Sakura spent their walk admiring their newly purchased weapons and showing them off to their friends, with the former being more enthusiastic about her axe than the latter about his sword.

As unusual as the encounter had been for the group- seeing as how it also provided them yet another trip into new territory, Naruto and the others were actually happy to have been able to run into the dwarf from across the sea. The entire thing had provided them an adequate distraction from the morning's initially tiresome schedule. This was of course before Tayuya reminded them that they still had training to finish, which inevitably led to Sakura, Sasuke and Tenten sulking…

OOO

(A little while later)

(Training Ground Three)

When the group finished their morning workouts, much to Sasuke and Tenten's relief, the Genin then quickly broke off to go clean themselves up and grab breakfast.

Sakura, still somehow having some energy left over, instead rushed off to the privacy of _Training Ground Three-_ the same place her team often went to practice with their team leader- to test out her newly bought weapon.

Still bearing the scratches and bruises from her sparring with Naruto, the girl with pink hair and wearing the red qi pao shirt and skirt, found a spot in the center of the field and took a stance. Bringing her axe out, the girl gave the blade a few testing swings, before beginning a few elaborate twirls with the weapon. As expected of its light weight, the kunoichi managed to spin it from hand to hand with ease- the blade making a low humming sound as it cut through the wind with barely any disturbance.

Swinging it a couple of more times, while also managing to use it single-handedly, Sakura then turned her attention to the three large tree logs standing at the edge of the field. Completely ignoring the telltale traces of the traps that she and her team had left months ago when they first battled their teacher in this very same area, the girl set herself into a wide stance and held the axe out to her side.

Drumming her fingers along the handle and feeling the leather hold in her palm, the girl then took a step forward, cranked back her arm, and threw the axe with a yell. The weapon spun through the air with a loud whoosh, seconds before slamming into the wood and burying into it with a loud thump.

Grinning triumphantly at managing to hit her target so easily with the huge tool, the girl then jogged over to the weapon, collected it, and then moved back to go again.

" _This is so much fun! I can't believe I'm able to do this with such a weapon,"_ Sakura thought to herself, at the same time setting herself into a stance, taking aim, and throwing the weapon again.

For the next several minutes the girl continued her private training- throwing the axe with terrifically deceptive aim and rushing over to collect it repeatedly. The act of doing so allowed her to chop into the enormous tree trunk with barely any effort, with her weapon chipping away at the bark and surface with every successful throw she attempted.

Eventually feeling satisfied with her accuracy, Sakura once again moved out to the middle of the area to try a different training. However, just before she could begin through the axe towards the trees closest to the lake, a rather unusual sight caught her eye.

Lowering her axe after taking aim with it, the pink haired girl blinked when she heard the sound of whimpering fill the air. Perplexed by the sound, the kunoichi looked around for a moment to see if someone was nearby.

Realizing quickly that the sounds were coming from the water, Sakura walked over to where the lake was. As she approached the bushes by the tree line, the whimpering she heard grew louder and louder, which quickly put the girl on guard. At first she thought that the noises were being made by a small animal- like a dog or something. But when she finally arrived at the shrubs, she soon realized that the sounds weren't coming from a mammal at all.

In fact, when the girl nudged away the leaves and branches of the bush and peered over to see what it was, Sakura blinked in surprise when she saw, to her amazement, a little dragon lying in the undergrowth.

With her tail submerged slightly in the water, the little white reptile, who looked no bigger than a fox, was lying exhausted on the bank. Her scales, smooth, small, and soft, with many resembling a coat of feathers, reflected the light of the sun from high above, and her fins and spines, which were plated in appearance, had a blueish glow to all of them. In addition to her extremities, the creature also had a pair of white, folded-up, bird-like wings on her back, and a crown of horns protruding from the top of her head. Overall, the little reptile's appearance was that of a tiny western dragon, which was unlike the ones that Sakura had seen in the picture books she read when she was younger.

At first captivated by the sight of the mythical animal before her, when the kunoichi saw that the little dragon had an arrow lodged in her shoulder, as well as three more embedded in her side, and was bleeding all over the floor, Sakura gave a quiet gasp and quickly stepped over the bush.

"Oh my gosh. What happened to you?" the pinkette asked, quickly kneeling down and setting her axe beside the animal. When she reached over to try and touch her, she then withdrew her hands when she saw the dragon flex its wings sharply, and her golden eyes glare up at her. This quickly told Sakura that the critter was still incredibly defensive. "No, no. It's okay. It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help."

After soothing it with words and managing to gently pat the dragon on the head, Sakura then analyzed her injuries from a distance. Cringing when she saw that the arrows were deeply embedded in the side of the little dragon, the kunoichi knew right away that she would need to take her somewhere to get proper care and aid.

Expression steeling, Sakura removed her qi pao top and, folding it out into the blanket, then gently wrapped it around the little dragon and picked her up. Cradling her in her arm and making sure she was comfortable, the pinkette made sure to collect her axe before then turning and heading out of the training area.

"I'll take you to Naruto-kun. He'll know what to do," Sakura whispered, knowing right away where she had to go.

Since Naruto had dealt with mysterious creatures like this before and was one of the few people in this village that she could trust with this, the kunoichi knew that the delinquent and his mythological companions were the only ones that would have knowledge of this area. After all, a veterinarian wouldn't know what to do with a dragon- especially one wounded by arrows.

As she ran across the training grounds with the dragon secured safely in her arm, Sakura missed the sight of the exhausted reptile opening both her eyes to gaze up at her. When she got a good look at the pink-haired youngster that was holding her protectively to her chest, the little white creature gave a light purr, before eventually falling asleep in the kunoichi's grip.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I just wanted to get this out in time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and, in case I don't post anything over the next couple of weeks, a happy holiday and a Happy New Year.

All the best, everyone.

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (Part VI):**

 **Brokkr -** In Norse mythology, Brokkr (Old Norse "the one who works with metal fragments; blacksmith", anglicized Brokk) is a dwarf and the brother of Eitri or Sindri.

According to Skáldskaparmál, Loki had Sif's hair, Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir and Odin's spear Gungnir fashioned by the Sons of Ivaldi. Loki boasted greatly of all the things that the Sons of Ivaldi could create. He also boasted that the other dwarves could not create anything beautiful or useful. Brokkr, who was in Asgard at the time, declared that his brother Eitri could make things far more beautiful and useful than the Sons of Ivaldi. Brokkr bet his head with that of Loki that his brother Eitri could make things with better craftsmanship than Skíðblaðnir or Gungnir.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , Brok shares the exact same history and legend as his real-life counterpart, in that he is a master blacksmith along with his brother Eitri. Together the two of them forged many enchanted weapons together, including Thor's hammer and Odin's spear- making him a smith of grandmaster status and legendary appeal. His skills were such that at one point, he was asked to fashion a prison to keep Tamamo-no-Mae sealed, which he succeeded in doing three thousand years prior to the start of the main story.

Because of his magical/mystical background, Brok has lived and traveled on Earth/Midgard for thousands of years, apparently without aging.


	28. Dragon Arc - Rumble in the Jungle

**Author's Note:** There's another shout out in this fic, this time to another media item. Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what that is?

Let me know in the reviews.

Also, Happy New Year everyone. Consider this to be my last official chapter post for 2018 before moving into the next year.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 _ **Maoyū**_

 _Rumble in the Jungle_

(That afternoon)

When the little white dragon's eyes slowly fluttered open after what felt like days later, when in reality only several hours had passed, she immediately found herself in a place she didn't know or recognize. A white ceiling hung above her- fixed with strong wooden beams- and the floor surrounding her was made up of mats composed entirely of dry grass. Aside from the kitchen and fridge she saw sitting up against one side of the room, there was also a closet and door on the other side, and a line of book shelves and cabinets on the other, all filled with reading materials and scrolls.

She also saw a low-sitting table right next to her, which she saw had a couple of bowls and glasses on top of it.

When the little white dragon's head slowly cleared of the haze filling it, she suddenly became aware of the sounds of people talking around her. Her pointy ears perking up, the feathery western dragon then slowly sat up and raised her head. There, sitting in a circle around the pillow she was curled up on, she saw a group of about three kids, a tiny white fox, and a large spider-girl present in the room.

All of them were gathered around her spot and were looking intently down at her, while at the same time whispering between one another. The moment they saw the dragon stir and her eyes turn towards them, the mood quickly brightened in the six-tatami-mat apartment.

"Hey. She's awake," Tayuya remarked, shuffling back when she saw the little dragon glance between them. "Great. Looks like we got to her just in time."

In response, Naruto smiled and, looking over at his vixen partner, reached over and petted her on her tiny head. "I knew I could count on you. Awesome job, Tama-chan." His praise earned a happy yip and a purr from the white fox, who promptly nuzzled his hand and gave his palm an affectionate lick.

Sakura, breathing a sigh of relief, shuffled towards the little reptile on the pillow and beamed down at her. "You're alright. I'm so glad. Are you feeling better now?" When she saw the now conscious creature blink at her with its wide, yellow eyes, before then looking down at its body to see the bandages wrapped around its waist and shoulder, the pinkette in the two-piece qi pao tilted her head. "Ah. Do you remember? When I found you, you had four arrows stuck in your body and you were completely soaked. I brought you back here to my friend's place and he fixed you right up."

"Well… I didn't really do anything. This one here did most of the work," Naruto corrected, while at the same time gesturing to the kitsune friend on the floor when the dragon turned in his direction. "You know, you were really lucky that Sakura-chan found you when she did. If she hadn't… Kami knows what might've happened to you. You probably would've died of blood loss or shock." He then beamed at his teammate. "You're alive now because of her."

"Oh. I-It was nothing. Really," Sakura said bashfully, rubbing the side of her head before looking back down at the critter she'd rescued. "But yeah. You were in pretty bad shape when I came across the spot you were lying. I managed to get the arrows out of your body and Tama healed you with her fox fire."

"And I made the bandages," the young Jorogumo Aya said, at the same time raising her hand meekly. "My webs are perfect for any kind of wear and tear work, so making some strips and sheets wasn't too difficult." Her statement was back by smiles from both Naruto and Sakura.

Tayuya, now back in her signature varsity jacket and spandex shorts, slipped her hands into her pockets and grinned. "To be honest, with all those holes in you and the amount of blood you'd lost, we weren't expecting you to wake up for at least a month. But it looks like our foxy friend's magic managed to put you right." She then looked across at Naruto and grinned. "That's some pretty potent stuff she's got, huh?"

"Yeah. It is," Naruto agreed.

As the newest visitor to the apartment looked about in a mild stupor, her attention quickly shifted back over to the pink haired kunoichi beside her. She managed to lock eyes with her just in time to see Sakura lean forward and smile sweetly at her.

"Though I'm not sure if you understand any of us, I just want you to know that I'm really happy to see that you're okay now," the female Genin said with the most sincere tone laced in her voice. "Just try to take it easy for now, okay?"

After staring at the pink-haired kunoichi for a few moments, the dragon then blinked when she recognized her as the same girl that'd rescued her. The kindly face of ivory skin and green, angelic eyes, and hair as pink as the blossoms in spring, filled the forefront of the dragon's thoughts as she gazed upon the smiling young girl. Upon which the little reptile wagged her tail and smiled, before giving a shrill yip of happiness. In that instant, she then leant her head down and nudged Sakura's hand gratefully, while also giving her knuckles a lick.

Upon seeing the now conscious little tyke happily sniff and lick Sakura's hand had Naruto and Tayuya stare for a moment, before the former then grinned at his teammate. "I think she understands. She's thanking you."

Sakura's smile only widened at this, as she then gave the little reptile a pat on the head. "Anytime, little one."

When the dragon was done expressing her affections to the pinkette, Tama, who'd been sitting quietly on the sidelines for a majority of the afternoon, slowly approached the little dragon and sat in front of her pillow. Seeing the two together, the group of kids noticed that they were both approximately the same size and had similar eyes to one another, despite being two completely different species. However, from what they were able to observe over the course of the day, the trio of Genin assumed that there was much more to this little dragon than meets the eye.

Their suspicions were soon confirmed when Tama, tail wagging, then gave a couple of light barks to the dragon. When the dragon recoiled in surprise, she replied with a few soft growls of her own, which had the white fox's expression take on a surprised look.

Then, amidst all their animal chattering, the little kitsune spoke in her womanly voice, _**"Is it really you, Kiyohime-chan?"**_

Hearing his companion speak caused Naruto to lean forward, "Huh? You know her, Tama-chan?"

The fox looked back at her partner and the girls gathered behind her. _**"She's an old friend of mine. We came to this world together from ours thousands of years ago, before any of the nations on this land were even formed. After spending a lot of time wandering the human settlements, we then went our separate ways."**_ She then quickly looked back at the little dragon lying on the pillow and gazed at her fondly. _**"I haven't seen her in so long that I didn't even recognize her in her animal form."**_

"Oh? So… do all the people from your world have the ability to transform into animals?" Sakura asked curiously.

" _ **Most certainly. Spirits are of the purest and most ancient of races, and have existed since before the primordial era of man. Because of our natural origins, each of our clans have inherited the traits of each of the universe's known animals,"**_ Tama replied, while simultaneously smiling back at the little dragon. _**"My clan for example took on the traits of the fox- the stealthiest and most mischievous of the animal races. And Kiyohime's clan adapted the model of the dragon- the noblest and rarest of the races."**_

"Sounds very distinguished," Tayuya commented while crossing her arms. She then looked up and gave a thoughtful sigh. "Wish I was born a spirit. You get to live a long and carefree life, go wherever you want, and do whatever you please."

Tama then turned and smiled at the redheaded flute player, _**"Well, if you wish to be like us, I could also teach you how to draw on Seishin energy to prolong your life and manifest the same abilities that I have. Just like I'm doing for Naruto-kun."**_

At this, Tayuya perked up, "Really? Y-You could do that? That'd be freakin' awesome!"

Naruto chuckled at hearing his roommate's ecstatic answer, at the same time reaching over to pat the now glowing girl on the head, "Geez, if you wanted to learn how, all you had to do was ask her."

After Tama and her compatriots looked back at the little dragon, the little white fox then nodded to the little reptile politely. _**"It's good to see you again, Kiyo-chan."**_

All of a sudden, the group sitting around the pillow then heard the dragon speak in a similarly mature, yet sensuous sounding voice. _**"And it's good to see you alive and well, Tama-chan."**_ Hearing the little dragon actually speak, but seeing her mouth only move once, caused Sakura and the others to balk in surprise. Clearly they weren't expecting her to use human speech so suddenly, yet at the same time it was a welcome exchange. _**"The last I heard of you, you had been sealed inside of an enchanted stone on the other side of the continent and hidden away from the world."**_

Her statement had the fox laugh sheepishly. _**"Oh, that? Well, I… got into a little bit of trouble with a country lord, who then hired a group of adventurers and heroes to lock me away. That was over three thousand years ago."**_ She then perked up and wagged her tail at her friend. _**"But I'm out now… as you can see."**_

" _ **Yes. Indeed,"**_ the dragon chuckled, closing her eyes briefly. After which she then looked around for a moment to try and gain her bearings. However, unable to see outside the window due to her low angle on the floor, Kiyohime then looked back at the group curiously. _**"Umm, pardon my bluntness, but… where exactly is this place? Could you tell me what town I'm in?"**_

"Oh. You're in _Konohagakure_ (Village Hidden in the Leaves) right now- the main shinobi village situated in the heart of _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire)," Sakura answered for the little dragon. "Do you know it?"

" _ **Yes. I'm familiar with the shinobi villages of this area. After all, I'd spent a great many years living in a small cottage on the outskirts of a settlement resting on the banks of the Hidaka River to the north,"**_ Kiyohime responded, while at the same time looking back at her fox friend. _**"How did you end up in this village?"**_

Tamamo-no-Mae smiled and tilted her head, _**"When the seal on my prison broke, I found myself wandering the countryside for a while and visiting all the places to see what'd changed over the years. I ended up stumbling upon a Tengu's stronghold in the mountains… and the chief and his clan attacked me. They wounded me… and I wound up limping all the way down here, to Konoha."**_ She then turned to smile across at Naruto. _**"That's when my friend found me… and nursed me back to health."**_

The blond delinquent smiled, "I always assumed you'd been attacked by a wolf or a mountain lion, or something. But I guess… _Tengu_? Another type of spirit?" He'd heard the name before. Tengu were bird spirits, often depicted as human-hybrid demons with elongated noses or men wearing bird masks. So far he'd only heard small stories about them. When he saw the fox nod to his question almost immediately afterwards, Naruto chuckled in response. "You just keep running into all sorts of trouble around this continent, don't you?"

" _ **Well… about the same amount of trouble as you, my mate,"**_ Tama chirped happily.

Feeling he was being scolded slightly through the fox's teasing, the young shinobi scratched the back of his head. "I guess I've had my share of problems over the years too, dattebayo. But can you really blame me?"

Looking between the fox and her roommate momentarily, Tayuya opened and closed her mouth a couple of surprise, before quickly looking back at her fellow delinquent. "Wait… did she just call you her-" Did she hear that right? Mate?

In animal terms, that only implied one thing…

Before anything more could be said on the subject, Tama quickly turned back to Kiyohime and frowned at her. _**"So… how in the world did you wind up so badly injured?"**_ She was of course referring to the recently bandaged wounds adorning her body. _**"Surely you weren't attacked by a human. There aren't that many warriors around this continent that could possibly take you by surprise."**_

In response, the little white dragon frowned and looked down at her side, where she could still feel the slight sting of her wounds. _**"I don't know. I remember I was sleeping inside my home when, all of a sudden, a barrage of fire arrows came shooting into my room from all directions. I got hit by the first salvo and managed to avoid the second. But before I could escape through the window, my entire home was blown up by a flash of light."**_

When the group of kids looked at one another, Tayuya then turned back to the small dragon with a small glimmer of concern visible in her eyes. "Did you manage to see who attacked you?"

"Was it another spirit… or a demon?" Naruto also asked. Given his experience of the wider world thus far, the only things he knew that could possibly hurt someone of Tama's race and of strength was either one of the biju or another fellow spirit. There had also been that Slit-Mouthed Woman ghost that they'd encountered back in the village, but that was another case of nuts all together.

Kiyohime responded by shaking her head. _**"No. Normally I would be able to sense other spirits. But the things that attacked me weren't from our world** or **our race. They were… corpses. Walking, growling, functioning, vicious corpses…"**_

Almost instantly, the atmosphere within the room ran ice cold, as every single person there stared wide-eyed down at the little reptile curled up in front of them in states of disbelief.

Sakura's face in particular paled at that little snippet of information. "C-Corpses? Like… _dead_ people?" Her fears were confirmed when the dragon gave a nod in response, causing a very unsettling chill to run down her spine. Even Tama was visibly disturbed by the news.

With even more questions quickly starting to bubble to the surface, Naruto opted to break the ice first, and addressed the small dragon inquisitively. "And that's… _bad_ … right? I mean… dead guys walking around and shooting arrows at people in their homes. I doubt that that's a good sign."

" _ **No. It's not,"**_ Tama replied, while at the same time turning to look at the kids sitting behind her. _**"The dead being resurrected to be used as an army of slaves- in any realm or universe- isn't a good sign at all. The practice of necromancy, especially on that level, violates the natural order of things and the very sanctity of life. Corpses being disturbed and uprooted from the grave by unknown supernatural forces usually indicates an acute tip in the balance of the world, as well as a prelude for even worse events to come."**_ Upon seeing looks of terror flicker through the children's' faces, the little fox quickly snapped her head back towards Kiyohime. _**"Did you manage to find out who or what was controlling the corpses?"**_

The little dragon clenched her eyes shut for a moment of thought, before opening them moments later. _**"One. The leader of the undead was an ancient and very powerful troll- one of the last surviving members of the Eyðileggja**_ (Ruin) _**clan."**_

Tayuya was immediately stumped. "E-yi… what? What the heck are they?" That tongue twister was a name she'd never heard of before, nor was it something she was going to try and pronounce.

To answer her, the kitsune glanced across at her partner's friend. _**"Eydileggja. They were once a large tribe of wandering trolls who inhabited the northern lands of primordial Europa hundreds of years ago. They were incredible warriors- very strong and very dangerous, and were chiefly responsible for wiping out hundreds of human communities during the height of their power."**_ Expression tightening in confusion, Tama looked back at her friend. _**"But… that's impossible. I thought that their kind were hunted to extinction by the invading human kingdoms a long time ago."**_

" _ **Apparently not. And what's worse, this one was versed in his people's art of sorcery. All of those corpses, including him, were saturated with mana…"**_ The little Kiyohime then frowned as she glanced down at the floor in thought, as she attempted to recall anything else that she remembered. _**"He and his draugr tracked me to a cliff, but I managed to lose them by throwing myself over the side."**_

"Draugr?" Sakura repeated, having not heard that word used before either.

" _ **That's Old Norse for 'Again Walker'. Restless ghosts that possess the corpses of men and women who died due to unfortunate circumstances,"**_ Tama explained, before blinking in surprise at what she'd said. _**"Hang on… that isn't right. None of it is-"**_

Sensing and noticing his friend's concern, Naruto leaned forward in worry, "What? What's wrong?"

" _ **Trolls? Draugr? Here? Two mythical creatures that were once thought to be wiped from this world millennia ago by the new human kingdoms have appeared on this continent. And what's even stranger is that both of them were working with one another… hunting one of my long lost friends,"**_ Tama continued, at the same time looking up at her friend seriously. _**"Are you absolutely sure that what you saw was accurate?"**_

Kiyohime nodded, _**"I would stake my life on it. What I saw was what I saw."**_

Feeling the situation growing more alarming by the seconds, Sakura gulped and spoke to the little dragon. "W-Why exactly were you being hunted? Do you know?"

Inhaling deeply, the reptilian spirit quickly looked across at the kunoichi. _**"No. But before I hurled myself over the edge of the cliff and escaped my pursuers, the troll told me who he was working for."**_ Kiyohime felt her claws curl tightly as the name of the man echoed through her head. It echoed so loudly that the dragon felt her jaw quiver before uttering it. _**"A man with a name originating from this continent… a person he called Oda Nobunaga."**_

At this, both Tamamo-no-Mae and Naruto felt their jaws drop…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

As the sky above _Konohagakure_ started to turn a gentle shade of orange and blue with the encroaching glow of the setting sun, up at the top of one of the hills overlooking the village, just outside of range of the _**Kanchi Kekkai**_ (Sensing Barrier), a group of figures had emerged from the woods. Almost immediately upon looking at the people assembled at the edge of the small cliff, anyone could tell that they weren't ordinary passers, nor were they human.

The first and most prominent figure amongst them was the same troll that'd been chasing the wounded Kiyohime two weeks ago- his hulking, grey frame and the massive stone totem propped over his shoulders dwarfing the height of some of the nearby trees.

Accompanying the tattooed beast and standing on his right, was another similarly humanoid individual. Aside from standing at least a third of the troll's full height, a full head taller than a full grown man, this second person took the form of a bodacious young woman with a buxom, muscular figure similar to that of an Amazonian- with large breasts, thin waist, and shapely legs- long, wild spiky white hair, and a deceptively pretty face. This was where all of her "normal" features seemed to stop, because on top of the very skimpy outfit she was wearing, consisting of a tiger-skin bandage bra and fundoshi that left little to the imagination, bandages around her forearms, and black sandals with leather straps that ran up her smooth calves, the woman's skin was completely red, her fingers and toes had elongated nails, and her head was crowned by a pair of curved horns that stuck out of her hair.

Just like the large troll standing alongside her, the female _**oni**_ (demon) was also armed with a unique tool of destruction. Her hand rested upon the pommel of a heavy _**kanabo**_ (metal stick)- an iron, studded, two-handed war club designed like a bat, with a rounded end that was as long as a staff and as wide as a tree trunk. Needless to say, the red-skinned woman appeared quite intimidating with her impressive weapon, even when standing beside the juggernaut, tusk-faced troll.

And, alongside the pair, not only were the glowing, rotting draugr present with them, but they were also being accompanied by a couple more ogres and beastly creatures. However, judging from their position on the cliff in front of the platoon of undead warriors and non-humans, these two ogres were apparently the leaders of this expedition.

Growling through his teeth, the impatient troll hefting the stone totem grunted, _**"The tracking arrows led us to this area. That means our target is hiding somewhere down there… in that village."**_ His tone indicated that he was still somewhat mulling over their current situation with a surprising amount of patience.

The woman beside him on the other hand, appearing unimpressed by the large town or her companion's report, scoffed back to him in response, "Hmph. Well, that's not annoying at all, is it?"

The troll's eye twitched as he looked down at the smaller female. _**"What?"**_ he snarled.

"I'm saying you fucked up, Malak," the female oni replied impatiently, fixing her harshest glare on the giant beside her. "You had one job to do- _bag and capture that spirit, and bring her to Nobunaga-sama…_ _ **alive**_. But instead of grabbing her when you had the chance, you messed aroud, had some fun, and let her slip through your fingers. And now, after sending a message to us asking for help, you've led us here to this place."

Snarling through his fangs, the bulky troll took a big step around and slammed his foot into the floor, cracking it under his weight. _**"Hey, it wasn't like catching that woman was an easy task. Even when she was injured by the draugr's enchanted bolts, she was still able to fight back with great strength and flee."**_ He then pointed down at her angrily. _**"I would like to have seen you do a better job in that situation, Ibaraki-san."**_

"Oh, I don't need to prove to you that I could've done a better job, because I definitely would have. Since I'm not an arrogant dumbass," the oni- identified as Ibaraki- responded with a firm and aggravated tone. She then turned to face the troll towering over and gritting his teeth at her. "Now, instead of dealing with one foe resting on the edge of a small town in the north of this region, we now have to deal with an even bigger village in the center of the region, with a massive military force protecting it."

The Malak grunted as he turned his nose up and glared back down at _Konohagakure_. _**"Whether they have a royal guard or an army, it doesn't matter. You and I can crush them easily. Hel… you could probably do it all by yourself if you wanted."**_

"True. But there is no honor or glory to be gained from it. I may not look it, but I have standards. I _despise_ fighting and slaughtering small fry," the oni replied with a huff, at the same time glancing back in the direction of their expected target. "And it's not just fighting against an army that's vexing. It's actually finding her in the first place. Spirits aren't easy individuals to track… nor are they easy to capture. I should know." She then narrowed her eyes firmly on the obstacle laid out before them. "Considering the density of this city's population and its location, I also suspect that our wayward foe must have managed to find some help. Probably another fellow spirit."

" _ **Heh. Well that would just be an even bigger inconvenience."**_

"That's my line, Malak. Don't you dare try to-"

"Oh, shut up, you two," a new voice spoke up from behind, drawing the attention of the two ogres to the third and last person situated on the hill with them. "Honestly… listening to the pair of you bicker and jabber is starting to get on my nerves."

When Ibaraki and Malak turned to the figure that'd spoke, they saw a normal, human male of average height and fit build standing behind them. Wearing only a pair of baggy pants and shin-high boots, as well as multiple belts of cloth, fur and leather wrapped around his waist, the twenty or so year old male's exposed upper body was covered in multiple blue tattoos- most of them circular and filled with dozens of runes of a foreign language. Aside from having a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow, he also had brown hair styled into a Mohawk, which went down the back of his neck and was decorated in several places with beads.

Despite being the least intimidating of the pair due to his skinny build, it was clear from the expressions on the ogres' faces that he too was an equal to them… if not someone of higher stature.

Uncrossing his arms, the man sauntered forward and moved between the two ogres when they stepped aside to make some room for him to cut through. "Regardless of who botched the job, I'm the one that's going to have to clean up this mess- as usual. It's the most I can do after being dragged all the way down here." Stopping between the pair towards the front, the tattooed man turned and glanced up at the massive troll standing beside him, who he saw shudder under his piercing glare. "I'll find where that spirit is hiding and convince her to come along. If all goes well, then the two of you won't even need to get involved in this."

Ibaraki, tapping her fingers against the steel bat she was leaning against, cocked one of her delicate eyebrows at the man. "And… if the target continues to be a nuisance?"

"Then look for my signal. When you notice something is wrong, you have my permission to attack the village," the man replied firmly, which put a smile on the large troll's face. "If you do, feel free to raid, destroy, rape, and pillage as much as you wish. Let the other goblins and trolls have some fun." Allowing a smirk to tug at his lips, he then turned to look across at the red woman. "As for you… if there are any problems at my location, I want you to head straight there. If that spirit has a guard of some kind protecting her, I'll take care of them while you deal with her."

Hearing this put a big grin on Ibaraki's face, who then left up her large war club and propped it over her shoulder. "Sure. I'll come running if you need help."

"Good. Though I doubt you'll have to," the man nodded, before slowly looking back at _Konohagakure_. After taking in the big, sweeping village laid out before him, including the stone-faced monument on the mountain, the warrior inhaled deeply. When the multiple tattoos on his skin lit up a bright blue, his body quickly became surrounded by a field of blue light. "Wait right here."

Then, with a bright flash and a sonic boom, the man's form shot into the sky and vanished, leaving both Ibaraki and Malak standing on the hill, and following the vapor trail he'd left behind.

As soon as their superior left the scene, Ibaraki turned to Malak and jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "You go in through the wall up ahead with the rest of the legion. Ready the troops." She then started marching down the hill and towards the settlement at her own leisure.

Doing as instructed without objection or fuss, and with a bit more enthusiasm than before, the troll wielding the totem turned to the woods behind him and gave a loud, beastly howl. The moment his voice echoed over the canopy, through the dark of the shrubs and the thick of the undergrowth, hundreds upon hundreds of more orange lights suddenly lit up the shadows. To accompany the flickering of flames that appeared, the clattering of metal and the shuffling of feet further indicated the presence of even more undead warriors arriving on the scene.

In a matter of moments, more draugr came marching into view from the forest, along with the heavy footfalls of solitary rock trolls, and the chattering of dozens of goblins and orcs. Every single one of them, from the shortest critter to the largest ogre, was armed with some kind of weapon of mayhem and war, and each one was eager to throw themselves into battle.

If one was to pan up and gaze over the woods from afar, they would clearly see the entire forest was alight with the glow and shadows of over a thousand draugr and goblins…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

"That name," Naruto whispered, at the same time looking across at Tama to see her glance in his direction. "Isn't that… the same name that Suiro told us a few months back?"

" _ **Yes. It is,"**_ Tamamo replied anxiously, which earned her curious looks from not only Kiyohime, but also Sakura, Tayuya and Aijo. _**"This is… incredibly disconcerting information."**_ In that moment, almost all of the girls in the room felt like they were missing a really important detail in the story, one that was soon emphasized by the bold and sharp-minded flute-player.

"Oda… Nobunaga…" the kunoichi in the varsity jacket repeated out loud, scrunching her face up in a clear indication of thought, before memories of her previous conversations with her roommate then hit her. Tayuya's attention quickly snapped towards Naruto. "Isn't he that same man Suiro mentioned after you defeated him in your battle? 'The Great Unifier', or something along those lines."

The blond delinquent gave a firm nod while reaching up to rub his chin, "I tried researching that name in the library and looking through all the national directories I could find for clues, yet nothing ever came up. But that big turtle said we would be hearing about him soon enough… and I guess he was right."

It was at that point Sakura quickly caught on to what the kids were now talking about. Though she'd only heard about certain parts of the event, she was well aware of the lakeside village battle that Naruto had gotten into during his lone adventure with Tama outside of _Konohagakure_. While the blond had told her briefly about what'd happened, he may have glossed over some of the details.

Now the only ones who were left completely in the dark over what was now being discussed were Kiyohime and Aijo, who couldn't help but watch and listen intently from their spots on the sidelines.

Still maintaining her composure, Sakura turned to the little dragon once more. "Do you know what this Nobunaga person wants with you?"

Kiyohime shook her head. _**"No… I'm afraid I don't. But anyone with the ability to figure out a spirit's true identity and locate them, as well as amass a force of archaic monsters from another continent to work for them, is not a person to be taken lightly. I have every reason to suspect that we are dealing with somebody who is very smart, very powerful… and extremely dangerous."**_ When she attempted to stand up, the dragon gave a wince as her forward arm buckled, prompting her to drop to her elbow. This caused Sakura to move her hands towards her in a panic to try and help her, but the little reptile shook her head, and insisted on standing up on her own. _**"I… I have to get out of here. Right now."**_

Tayuya and the others sitting around her balked. "Huh? W-Why?"

"You can't leave. You're still injured," Aijo squeaked from where she stood in the main room.

" _ **I'm sorry, but… I have no choice,"**_ Kiyohime groaned as she stood upon the pillow while looking around at the group. _**"That troll and his draugr… they're still out there somewhere… searching for me. If they manage to pick up my trail… it will eventually lead them**_ _here_ _ **. And that's bad news for all of you."**_ She then looked sternly around at the kids, particularly Sakura. _**"I just… can't bear the thought of putting you… or any of your friends in harm's way."**_

Sakura, after quickly exchanging looks with the others and seeing the concern on all their faces, then smiled back at the little dragon girl and spoke, "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to worry about us." She then shuffled closer and gestured around the room, "Look. All of us here… me, Naruto-kun, Tayuya-san… we're not the kind of people who would just turn down someone in need or look the other way. Whether they're a spirit, a human, a demon, or a stranger- it doesn't matter. If they need help, we _help_ them."

"Yeah. It isn't in our nature or our code to just step aside and let something unjust happen to another person," Naruto stated, at the same time feeling his grin grow a little as he stuck his chest out. "You got attacked by someone that you don't know for reasons you can't explain. That's more than enough for us to take action. After all, we're shinobi. It's our job to fight for others and protect those who can't fight back… especially when it comes to our friends, dattebayo."

"And since you're a close friend of one of our own… _well_ … all the more reason for us to get involved," Tayuya stated as well, which caused the little dragon to look across at the girl as she raised her fist and pounded it against her chest. "You can trust us. We can defend you from the scumbags who are hunting you down, no matter _who_ or _what_ they are."

After Tamamo smiled at seeing the support from the kids- particularly her partner- she then turned to where Kiyohime was currently standing. When her eyes landed upon the little dragon, she saw the shocked look on the spirit's face and the way her eyes seemed to be wavering as she glanced between all of them. Clearly this was the first time she'd had another group of people stand up for her like this and voluntarily put their lives on the line for her.

Swallowing nervously, the stunned dragon princess spoke, _**"You'd… really do that… for me? For someone you'd just met?"**_

In response, Sakura grinned and nodded, "Of course. You can count on us, shannaro!" She shouted while clenching her fist, only to then blush when she realized what she said at the end. When she glanced at the others, she saw Naruto staring at her and Tayuya looking as though she was attempting to hold back a snicker. "Umm. C-Could you guys… forget you heard that?"

Tayuya shook her head, "Nope."

Biting her bottom lip and turning away so that she couldn't see Naruto, who also ended up smiling at the girl's little stutter, Sakura focused her eyes back on the dragon. "So… will you let us help you?"

Upon meeting the young kunoichi's gaze, the little white reptile gulped and, as a light blush filled her cheeks, she nodded to the young lady before her. _**"S-Since you're being so insistent… how can I refuse? I doubt I'll be able to convince you otherwise."**_

Hearing her answer had Sakura grin and wink, "Not a chance."

Just before anyone else could do or say anything, almost immediately after the injured spirit accepted the group's aid, a low rumbling suddenly hit their house. The rattling of the rafters and the falling of dust caused the group of kids and the spirits currently in the room to look up in alarm. When the reverberating grew louder and the shaking more violent, the group's immediate thought was that a storm or an earthquake was passing them by. However, when the tremors ended moments later, the answer soon came in the form of a loud knock on the door.

The instant their eyes snapped towards the entrance to the apartment, the kids heard the voice of a man call through the wood, "Come on out! I know you're in there!" The shout caused Naruto and Sakura to scramble to their feet, with the blond slowly and cautiously making his way towards the entrance. "It's no use hiding anymore. I know who you are… but more importantly I know _**what**_ you are."

Eyes widening, Kiyohime backed up on her pillow- to the point she almost fell off of it, _**"Oh no."**_

" _Shit. How did they find us so fast?"_ was the first thought that went through Tayuya's and everybody else's heads. After a hurried meditation, the flute player's eyes widened and she quickly looked towards the kitchen desk, where the four arrows that they had pulled out of Kiyohime were lying on bloodied silk sheets. When she and the others noticed the arrows glow and flicker brightly, they knew instantly what must have happened.

" _They tracked us!"_ Naruto thought before turning to Sakura, gesturing to get her attention, and promptly starting to use Sign Language to speak to her. When the pinkette followed his hand movements, she saw him weave the words 'Hide her in cupboard and get ready.' Nodding in understanding, the kunoichi quietly and quickly rushed over to Kiyohime, picked up the dragon on her pillow, and hurried her over to the shogi doors on the other side of the room.

Upon sliding them open, she laid the dragon on top of one of the folded up futons, told her to stay quiet, before quickly shutting the closet. When she turned around, Sakura then ducked to where the shelves were pushed up under the apartment's main window, and picked up her newly bought axe. The instant she set her weapon into a two-handed grip, she watched as the now standing Tayuya unclipped the holster of her flute, while at the same time Naruto discreetly opened his back pouch. Even Aijo, who was the most silent of them all despite her size and weight, activated her invisibility and slowly crawled up towards the ceiling.

The moment they were ready and Naruto slowly and cautiously approached the door, the man on the other side spoke, "I can hear you moving about inside. Just come on out so we can talk. There's no need for this to get bloody."

Taking a steady breath as he reached for the handle, when the boy felt Tama hop up onto his shoulder and take a defensive stance, he then cranked the knob and opened it. Almost immediately upon swinging open the door, Naruto found himself face to chest with a shirtless man covered in strange rune tattoos all over his upper body, and was standing on the walkway just outside his flat. As his eyes slowly panned up to the stranger's mug, he saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back down at him, as well as a look of mild surprise on the individual's face.

The moment everyone in the apartment got a good look at the individual, they all immediately blinked in confusion, while also unconsciously stepping back out of instinct. Aside from being the strangest-dressed person they'd ever laid eyes on, he also wasn't someone who was born anywhere in the _Elemental Nations_. This much they could tell from his complexion, appearance, and the odd writing and seals scribbled across his upper body.

Naruto, after taking an additional step back due to how close the man was, cleared his throat while keeping one hand hidden behind his back, "Uhh… hi?"

Glancing the group of kids over for a few seconds, the man with the Mohawk and Nordic tattoos smirked, "Huh… not exactly what I was expecting, considering the location and the population." With a flippant and laidback attitude, the stranger tilted his head at the home's residents and continued in amusement, "But this is the place I was looking for."

After analyzing the man for a moment, Tama's once guarded and taken-aback expression suddenly transformed into one of fright and alarm. _"Those markings… and that aura… no way-"_ In just mere moments, a visible sweat broke out on the fox's profile as her eyes panned up the man that was now standing in their doorway. Through her senses, she saw a cloud of mana wafting off of the figure's body that seemed to climb all the way up into the clouds and tower over the whole district like a titan. Though very similar to the energy reading that the Ryofu girl from _Kirigakure_ possessed, this person's energy signature was so vast, so outrageous, and in such close proximity to the group that even the little kitsune subtly shuffled back on Naruto's shoulder in momentary fear. _"One of_ _ **those**_ _people… here? On this continent? Th-There's no way-"_

If her memory of the world's history was correct and her judgement on the presence she could feel was accurate, she knew exactly who this man was and where he came from.

When Naruto saw the man leer down at him in a rather menacing way, the blond tensed as his fingers quietly slipped into the pouch behind him for a blade, "What do you want?"

The tattooed man chuckled mockingly, "Oh, you already know the answer to that." He added to this by taking a step forward, causing all of the kids in the apartment to freeze as he moved an inch closer to their threshold.

Feeling the situation growing alarming tense, Naruto decided to break out some of his regular, bad-boy humor to defuse the situation a little, and try to steer this stranger away from his home. Despite the fact the man wasn't armed, the blond delinquent didn't like the aura he could feel coming off of him one bit. It felt foul. "Well… if you're looking to borrow some sugar or a couple of potatoes, I'm afraid I don't have any." He then stepped back and prepared to close the door. "Have a good evening, sir."

Just before he could shut the door half way, the stranger suddenly shot his hand out and slammed it against the wood, preventing Naruto from shutting it. When the blond tugged at it, the Genin became alarmed when it wouldn't budge, and when he looked back up at the stranger he instantly found himself being grinned at.

"Now don't be silly. Those aren't what I'm here for," the man said, slowly pushing the door back open to full width and taking another step over the barrier entrance to better glare down at the boy with the whiskers on his face. "I'm looking for something else… or more accurately _someone_ else. A _spirit_ _girl_ … with dark skin and a tail. Have you seen her?"

Out of reflex, the jinchuriki gripped the handle of his hidden kunai tightly, at the same time Tayuya and Sakura took defensive stances. "I'm sorry. I don't know who you're talking about," he replied.

Then, just as Naruto was counting down in his head to the moment he could stab the man if he tried anything, a flash of blue light from his shoulder followed by a pillar of blue flames exploding into view beside him caused him and the stranger to stumble away from each other. When the fire dispelled a split second later, Tama's dark-skinned, shapely human form, complete with long ears, long tail, and green kimono robes exposing a great deal of her cleavage, marched forward and stood over the noticeably shorter visitor.

Despite her flashy entrance, the look on her face and the fury burning in her golden eyes, told everyone there that she was clearly pissed.

"Stand back, Naruto-kun. I'll handle this," the spirit woman whispered. Sensing the boy nod and do as he was told, the female then approached the tattooed stranger, watching him back up onto the walkway once again so that he could survey the newcomer properly. Sauntering up to the intruder, Tamamo snarled through her teeth. "The person you're looking for isn't here."

"Oh… on the contrary. I believe I'm looking right at her. Hmm… yes…" the blue-eyed man remarked in an impressed tone, checking out the woman's curves and her buxom figure framed in her loose kimono. After nodding in approval, the stranger then addressed her more appropriately. "I thought you'd be _bigger_ … more terrifying. But you're _definitely_ the one." He then tilted his head coyly at her, before asking derisively, "Long way from home, aren't you?"

Tama, keeping her cool as best as she could, moved her head in closer and growled, "Whatever you seek here, we do not have it... nor am I the person you are after. You would be wise to move on." Her statement caused the stranger to cackle in amusement, before then raising his hands in a gesture of mock terror.

"Hahaha. And here I thought your kind was supposed to be so enlightened. So much... "better" than us. So much smarter." The tattooed stranger than dropped his arms in defeat, causing the kids watching from the apartment to blink in confusion as he gestured to the woman in front of him. "But now I'm wondering why master Nobunaga wants anything to do with you- a little, white beast who hides among the humans… like a _coward_."

Feeling her impatience growling, the transformed Tama waved her tail furiously as she stepped closer to the man. "Trust me when I say this… you don't want this fight."

"Oooh…" the stranger craned his head up in thought, before then bringing his hand up to rub his jaw. "I'm pretty sure I do." Then, without warning, he struck Tama across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her head to the side and causing her to blink in surprise. The sound of the 'slap' reverberating off of the walls caused the girls to cringe, with Naruto gritting his teeth in anger.

When the blond moved forward to intervene, Tama responded by moving her tail around and blocking his path, telling the delinquent to keep his distance. The fox demon then looked back at the man that'd backhanded her and growled. "I'm not going to ask you again. Leave our home… or face the consequences."

The blue-eyed visitor sneered back at the dark-skinned female, clenching his fists and loading up his right arm. "You're going to have to kill me to make that happen… which I highly doubt you can." He then struck her across the face and then the stomach with his left, hitting her with enough force to cause the kitsune's body to lurch slightly. However, due to the dull thuds that rang out, it was clear that he wasn't hitting her with much weight, as evident by how Tama appeared to be unfazed by his blows. When she glared back at him in an irate manner, the man grinned. "So… what are you going to do about it?" After hitting her across the face with another hook, the stranger then drew back his right fist and thrust it towards her cheek for one final taunt.

But, instead of hitting Tama with his punch, the man balked when he had his fist caught by her left hand shooting up from the side.

Clenching his knuckles between her fingers like a vice, the vixen gave a foxlike snarl as she slowly twisted her antagonist's wrist into a submissive position, causing the attacker to groan as she bent him over.

The moment she had him where she wanted him, the slightly bruised Tama hissed, "I warned you!" She then drew back her right fist and drove it across his face with enough force that it knocked him flying off his feet and straight through the walkway's railing. The metal bars were smashed so violently that they exploded into bits of metal as the man's hapless body flew straight down to the garden to slam into the flower bed- crushing the plants in the process.

After witnessing what'd happened, Tayuya stepped forward in shock, "Whoa. Nice punch."

"D-Did you kill him?" Naruto asked, craning his head around to get a better look.

The group was of kids was stopped by Tama holding her hand out. "No. Stay back. This man is incredibly dangerous." As she looked down over the side to see the man roll over in the dirt, groaning all the while from they suspected as a concussion, the transformed kitsune then spoke to her partner and his girls. "I'll try to drive him off if I can. But even with my full power behind me, I don't think I'll be able to defeat him. So if anything happens, I want you guys to run. Understand?"

Following a moment of surprise and hesitation, when she saw Naruto, Sakura and Tayuya nod in understanding, Tama then turned her full attention to the stranger in question. The kids then watched silently from the entrance to the apartment as the white-haired, anthropomorphic spirit woman gracefully jump down from the walkway and into the garden. Slowly walking around the grounded man, who was in the process of slowly standing up and shaking his head from supposedly the impact of the spirit's fist, Tama then stopped beside him, reached down, and grabbed his arm.

When he was yanked to his feet, the man at first appeared incredibly dazed. However, after swaying on the spot a couple of times, the moaning stranger then craned his head up, looked at Tama, and grinned at her through a broken nose and blackened cheek.

"My turn."

Before Tama could react, the stranger suddenly straightened up, drew back his left fist, and smashed her in the solar plexus with such power that the impact caused a sonic boom to explode off of them. The humanoid fox spirit's eyes bugged out as blood flew from her mouth and her body was sent plowing into the apartment building and straight through it. While the ground cratered around the spot where she'd been launched, Tama's body had so much momentum built up behind her from the blow that she quite literally went flying through every single building across the entire village.

Multiple explosions and loud bangs rang out as one after the other, apartment buildings and stores had a hole smashed through them by an indiscernible green blur flying through them. Tama's flight path tore a line straight through the hidden leaf village and, after traveling for several seconds, she ended up smashing into the side of the mountain, directly beneath the Hokage Monument. Her crash was so violent that it was marked by an explosion of dust that sent rubble and debris belching into the sky, as if a small meteor had ended up striking the countryside.

The catastrophe happened so fast and so violently that everyone who was in the vicinity at the time were too stumped to even realize what had happened. All the people could do was scream as their beloved community had a human-sized projectile sent plowing straight through it.

Hearing a couple of the buildings in the distance start to collapse in the form of low rumbling, the flabbergasted Naruto, Sakura and Tayuya could only gape in horror at what they saw happen to Tama. When their eyes quickly snapped down to where the stranger was still standing, they saw him shake out his fist and leer in the direction of the hole he'd formed in a straight line towards Konoha's most famed monument.

After a few seconds of waiting to see what'd happened, the stranger was then pleased to see a white blur shoot up into the sky from the mountain, arc over the village, before slamming down into the floor directly in front of him. When the dust settled, it revealed Tama- her hair a mess and clothing torn in multiple places- snarling at him in full rage.

"Oh? Struck a nerve, did I?" the man chuckled, before spitting out the blood from his mouth before grandly holding out his arms in another sarcastic gesture. "Well then… before we start losing ourselves in the fun of brutalizing one another, why don't we begin by abiding to some proper battle etiquette, and introduce ourselves." He then reached up and placed his hand over his chest, at the same time bowing to the angry spirit in front of him. "My name is Baldur- the Brave God of Asgard… son of Odin, brother of Thor, member of the Aesir…" As he said this, the wounds on his face slowly vanished and his missing tooth grew back. Once his injuries faded away, he then grinned at the stunned spirit before him and the kids watching from above. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I have a particular way of scaling the power of my characters in my story, since it's basically taken from real-life mythology and legends, a lot of the characters would be pretty high up there on the list. And since Naruto deals with characters who are mostly human, with the exception of the extra-terrestrials the Otsutsuki (who are quite possibly the worst villains in the series), there is a lot of room for me to flex some muscle in here.

 _ **One-Punch Man**_ did it quite well with their ranking system: God, Dragon, Demon, Tiger, Wolf. So, I took inspiration from this to compose my own list, so it's easier to follow where characters are classed in this fic, and why I have stated many to be stronger than Kaguya.

Below is pretty much the pecking order in _Naruto: Maoyu_ universe. If anyone has ever asked what my tier list is, here it is:

 **xxx**

 **Power Scaling:**

Tier 9 - **Dragon Gods** – The beings included in this list are the pinnacle of all beings across creation. The dragons featured here are the ones featured most prominently in mythology, either associated with great events involving either natural phenomena or the destruction or creation of whole worlds. The dragons encompassing this list include: _Shenlong_ (Spirit Dragon - Chinese), _Tianlong_ (Celestial Dragon - Chinese), _Gong Gong_ (Cosmic Dragon – Chinese), _Bakunawa_ (Philippines), _Fafnir_ (Germanic), _Nidhogg_ (Norse), _Jormungandr_ (Norse), _Hétfejű Sárkán_ (The Dragon of Seven Heads – Hungarian), etc.

(Note: These beings will not appear in Naruto: Maoyu, but are only mentioned in the story)

Tier 8 – **Titans** – Beings of gargantuan size, either spanning multiple planets or even the planets themselves. These beings have shaped the cosmos by becoming the cosmos itself, and have worked in conjunction with the Dragon Gods and the Gods to bring about stability to creation. The beings included here are _Kronos_ , _Gaia_ , _Hyperion, Theia_ (Greek), Jotunn, Ymir, Hodo (Norse), etc.

(Note: These beings are less-likely to appear in the story compared to the tiers below)

Tier 7 – **Major** **Gods/Demons/Dragons** – Beings who originated after the founders of the multiverse, blessed with divine powers and enormous strength, and are capable of ending entire worlds and civilizations, or creating them. The list encompassing these creatures are vast, and include multiple beings from Greek, Norse, Japanese, Aztec, Germanic, Scandinavian, Indian, Hindu, and other mythologies. _Gods_ include Thor, Baldur, Odin (Norse), Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite (Greek), Izanami, Izanagi, Ame (Japanese), etc. _Demons_ include Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, Kappa, Oni, Tengu, Bakanekos (Japanese), Asuras, Devas, Yakshas (Hindu), Daemons (Greek), Drekavac (Slavic) etc. And _Dragons_ include Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Four Dragon Kings (Chinese), Drakon (Scandinavian), Python (Greek), etc.

Tier 6 – **Demi-Gods/Meta-Humans** – Beings who are either half God, regarded as false Gods, or beings possessing such strength and legend that they are almost comparable to Gods. Though some may be as strong as the genuine articles, they don't possess the same advantages that the above tiers possess. But this doesn't mean their powers are to be taken lightly. Several beings in this list can include Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Yue Fei (Chinese), Okita, Musashi (Japanese), Hercules, Achilles, Perseus (Greek), Karna, Arjuna (Indian), Attila the Hun (Mongolian), Fuma Kotaro (Japanese), Roland (France), Alexander the Great (Greek), Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Amazons, Valkyrie, etc.

Tier 5 – **Extra-Terrestrials/High Monsters/Lesser Demons** – Creatures who are said to have influenced human society and technological advancement across multiple ages, from the Mayans, to the Ancient Egyptians, to Ancient Europa and Asie. While the Gods have had their fair share of influencing humanity, these beings have also scowered the multiple universes of the cosmos, pursuing either knowledge, information, or power. They are also capable of reaping their own levels of destruction and have even created beings composed of different forms of energy, as well as sharing their genes with other races. Beings included in this list are the _**Otsutsuki main and branch families**_ , Hagoromo, Hamura, and the _Biju_ that they created, smaller level demons with supernatural powers, including ghosts, kaiju, magical creatures, vampires. And also the _**Roswell Aliens**_ like the ones featured in the forgettable film _Indiana Jones 4_ , because I care about quality science fiction.

Tier 4 – **Advanced Humans/Non-Humans** – Humans who have pushed the boundaries and gained incredible strength through hard work and natural growth, utilizing the energies surrounding them or within them. Many of these in the Naruto world have attained high ranks in their society, either in office or in the line of duty. These include all of the Kage, Madara, Hashirama, the three Legendary Sannin, most jinchuriki, Hanzo, Mikoto, Kushina, and many other people across the world, including highly trained officers in the western military of General/Admiral/Field Marshall rank, as well as others who practice alchemy, sorcery, magic of a higher level, including Admiral Yamamoto, General Patton, Nikola Tesla etc.

Tier 3 – **Semi-Advanced Humans/Non-Humans** – Coming closer to normal levels, these are people who have also gained incredible strength through hardwork, and encompass the ranks below those who have attained higher standing through strength and leadership. These include Jonin, Chunin, Genin, and officers in multiple militaries across the wider world of _Naruto: Maoyū_ of ranks Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major. Also included are various armored monsters, beasts, orcs, goblins, and beasts who utilize spell-casting to a certain degree.

Tier 2 – **Humans/Animals** – From top of the food chain to the bottom of the food chain, ordinary humans have evolved with the ability to hunt, cultivate, and create societies spanning the entire globe through use of their own strength and ingenuity.

Tier 1 – lol. **Insects**. By this point the tier list has probably become a bit of a joke. Though insects aren't to be underestimated. They may be small, but they've lived in this world longer than you or I can even dream. This is a power scaling list after all.

* * *

Based on the mythology that has been thrown in so far, this tier list is quite accurate. Heroes in history defeating Gods, dragons and titans, they are monumental feats and recorded prominently throughout legends. The fact that Naruto has all of these kinds of people coming after him just shows how much stronger he's going to have to get or how much smarter he's going to have to fight in order to win or survive. So at this stage Naruto can barely do anything. But it's his adventures and struggles in this world that will prompt him to grow and develop. Baldur... he's just another challenge/obstacle.

And yeah, if you involve actual Gods in your story (I'm looking at Kishimoto), then you have to have some semblance of balance to it- ergo you include genuine ones or more of them. I don't include characters in my story unless there are ways to defeat them, unlike the original author who didn't know how to get rid of his Madara- which shows just how poorly Madara and by extension the Otsutsuki were designed. They're shit villains with no flaws. Well, I just came up with a hundred ways to get rid of them, and that's every single pantheon across Earth's history.

It's only logical. Considering the Otsutsuki are parasitic aliens (not Gods) because they come from a different planet, became myths, advanced humankind's evolution in secrecy, and steal energy from other worlds, their influence on earth history is very insignificant to what came before them.

* * *

 **Historical figure profiles (part VII):**

 **Baldr** (3rd Century AD to present) – also known as **Balder** or **Baldur** , is a major god in Norse mythology, and a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg (aka Freya). He has numerous brothers, including Thor and Vali. Over the 12th and 13th Centuries, numerous researchers and scholars have pieced together accounts of Baldur's story from ancient Nordic texts and poems, which reference Baldur's story as both a great tragedy to the Aesir and a harbinger of _**Ragnarok**_ \- the end of the world. In the most famed account of his story, after experiencing a vision of his death in the form of a prophecy, Baldur became severely depressed, leading to his mother Frigg making every object across all the Nine Realms vow never to harm Baldur. All objects made this vow except _Mistletoe_ \- a detail which was explained in the texts as being too unimportant an object. The reason for this was argued by one scholar, stating the fact that young people in those days were not eligible to swear legal oaths, which could make them a threat later in life. Thus this creates a loophole in Frigg's spell. When Loki- the god of mischief- heard of this, he made a spear or an arrow of the material. He then hurried to the place where the gods were enjoying their favorite pastime or hurling objects at Baldur, which would bounce harmlessly off of his invulnerable body. When Loki gave the arrow to Baldur's blind brother Hoor, the brother shot the arrow into Baldur and killed him. Baldur's story would inevitably lay the groundwork for the event that would become known as Ragnarok, in which many of the Norse Gods would later be slain in the coming tragedy, and has become so famed in retellings that it was later adapted not only in the film _**Thor: Ragnarok**_ , but also the 2018 game _**God of War**_.

In _Naruto: Maoyū_ , Baldur shares the same traits and character as his real life counterpart. Aside from being one of the major gods of the Nordic realm, the brother of Thor and the son of Odin, Baldur himself is a figure of immense power, charm, and charisma. Just like his real-life counterpart, the spell laid upon him by his mother Freya has blessed him with invulnerability to all threats physical or magical- making him virtually and literally unkillable. The only drawback to this curse is that he is unable to feel anything, which prompts him to seek out greater extremes and wilder sensations- such as battle, emotional clarity, and death. Despite this, Baldur is incredibly loyal to his family, extremely intelligent, and one of the most dangerous adversaries that Naruto and his friends will face. He is so powerful in fact that Tamamo-no-Mae- a high class spirit and a being more powerful than Momoshiki and Kaguya Otsutsuki- expressed fear at the sight of him. Being one of the oldest of gods as well as a genuine one, Baldur possesses great insight and terrifying strength, and is easily stronger than Fuma Kotaro- a human turned demon- and has stated outright that he has the capability of being able to wipe out entire civilizations and nations with barely any effort. His invulnerability allows him to survive any injury or wound, no matter how fatal, and provides him unparalleled regenerative capabilities. Apparently he, along with the trolls and draugr, are working in the service of Oda Nobunaga, who has ordered him to capture and bring the spirit Kiyohime into their ranks.

 **Ibaraki-Doji** (794 AD to 1185AD) – Ibaraki-doji (Ibaraki child) is an oni (demon or ogre) featured in multiple tales within the Heian period, who was said to be based in Mount Oe and supposedly went on a rampage in Japan's old capital city of Kyoto. In many interations of tales featuring Ibaraki, one of them states that he/she was a subordinate of a fellow oni demon named Shuten-doji- who was his/her superior, while others stated that they were separate entities who knew of each other's existence. Together the two of them rampaged in Kyoto together with their gang, and were later attacked by the samurai lord Minamoto no Raiko and his vassals The Four Guardian Kings. While Shuten-doji wound up being slain, Ibaraki managed to escape, with later tales of this demon emerging afterwards. In many versions of this demon's legend, Ibaraki is an oni possessing fearsome supernatural abilities and powers.

In _Naruto: Maoyu_ , Ibaraki shares the same traits and origins as her real life counterpart. Ibaraki-doji is an oni leader and warrior, often referred to as the _Demon Princess_ or _Ogre Princess_ , in the same manner that Tama is referred to as the _Fox Princess_ and Kiyohime the _Dragon Princess_. She is a spirit/demon that originated from the same world as Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime, and is part of the clan that allows her to transform into an ogre. As such, she is immensely powerful- in the same league as both Tama and Kiyohime, and is one of the only ones capable of speaking to the Aesir God Baldur on equal terms. She, along with Baldur and his legion of Nordic beasts, are working for Oda Nobunaga.


End file.
